Whirlpools
by morninglily
Summary: One cheating boyfriend later, Hinata tries to get her life back on track. Naruhina. Eventual Gaahina.
1. Chapter 1

One cheating boyfriend later, Hinata tries to get her life back on track.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, this would honestly never happen because no one deserves to be cheated on. Sorry Hinata.

He had been her first love. With his blue eyes and stunning smile, she quickly fell for him. Of course, she was not the only one who fell for his amazing smile and she knew this. But that didn't matter because at the end of the day, she was the one that he had chosen to be with. She was the one that he wanted to be with and that was enough.

"I'm sorry. I thought you knew," the soft voice said from the other end of the line, "he told me that you guys had broken up 6 months ago."

Hinata clenched the phone tightly and struggled to not let her voice tremble. "Oh. That's funny. I recall him saying the exact same thing. About you, of course." Her eyes watered and she was glad she wasn't actually seeing this woman face to face. "That you were just a friend and he would never consider dating you."

The woman on the other line scoffed bitterly. "Oh really? He was begging me to date him." Hinata winced before she answered softly, "We were planning to get married. Next year." "…I'm really sorry." Silence. Hinata let out a deep sigh that she didn't realize she was holding onto before she calmly hung up. There was nothing else to say after all. The man that they had both loved had been revealed to be the dirty lying cheater that he actually was.

"Naruto." The whisper passed through her lips before she could stop herself. When had his name begun to sound so hollow? It had always seemed like a sweet song on her lips. A word that she could repeat every few minutes and just smile at the sound. Now, it was just so…dead. She laughed bitterly. She never knew she could even laugh like that. Naruto always had that effect on her though. He had that ability to bring out sides of her she never knew and now, he was ripping her heart out and making her feel so numb.

She didn't even know how she would face him, but then again, it wasn't like she always saw him around. He was so good with his excuses after all. She never even suspected that the smiling man who kissed her forehead and who looked into her eyes after they made love would ever have the heart to do that to her. But he did. And Hinata felt lost because if there was one thing she could believe, it was Naruto and he had just completely demolished her trust. It was like he had just kicked her down a cliff and she was spinning, trying so hard to catch her breath and find a ledge to hold onto at the same time.

Hinata took a shaky breath as she looked down at her phone. _I just confronted him._ _It's your decision to stay with him or not._ "Stay with him?" Hinata mumbled to herself, as she texted her reply. "Why do you say that?" _He's confident that he can win you back. He said so._ She threw her phone across the room at those words because it was true. She knew it. She knew herself well. He would come to her door and apologize with tears in his eyes and then he would hug her. He would embrace her so tightly, it would force the air out of her lungs. So tightly that it was as though she was his one anchor that tied him down and without her, he would cease to exist. Then he would place his head in her lap and she would stroke his hair, while he cried about how he was wrong and that he was so happy she could forgive him and still love him. That she was his perfect girl and he was so stupid for always messing up.

She knew because that was how each one of their argument ended. She would always give in because she loved him and Hanabi would look at her and tell her she was a doormat. Hinata felt the tears begin to flow, but she was so numb she couldn't even make a sound. She didn't make a simple whimper as she walked to pick up her phone. Amazingly enough, it had not cracked despite the throw. As though on cue, her phone began to ring, and their picture together popped up. It was a picture that she had taken on his birthday, when he had cake all over his face. His eyes were so blue and happy and he had the sweetest grin. She stood beside him, equally covered in cake and kissing his scarred cheeks. They had been so happy.

Hinata watched as the phone silenced and the picture faded, leaving behind a missed call notification. A second later, another call followed by another and then another. 10 missed calls. 15 unread messages. An unread facebook message from Sasuke. _He's freaking out. Will you answer._ No question mark. So like Sasuke. Hinata paused for a moment before she typed a reply. _You knew._

 _Yes. I did._ She paused, unsure of how to proceed, but she was so tired of lies and being hurt. _Why didn't you tell me?_ Hinata reread it several times before she sent it. She deserved to know because even if she wasn't best friends with Sasuke, they were still friends. She had trusted him and he too had lied to her and deceived her. His reply came quickly and she felt anger boil up inside her heart. _I'm sorry._ It was stupid to be angry at him. He wasn't the one who broke her heart and lied to her for so long. He was just being Naruto's friend and sticking up for Naruto, but it was so easy to be angry at Sasuke. At least she could feel something instead of the sick emptiness that had made its home in her heart and gut. Another call came through and she ended the call. 11 missed calls. One new message.

 _Hinata, I love you! :D About to come home soon, babe!_

 _Why are you ignoring me? D: need my daily dose of love from my perfect girl!_

 _Hinata?_

 _Hinata, why are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong? I'm coming over. Let's talk it over?_

 _Hina, please. Please please please please talk to me._

 _She knows that I love you. I love you and only you. Hina, talk to me. Please. You're making me cry. Please._

 _Hinata._

 _You know I love you and only you. Would you just let me explain? Hinata please I need to see you and I need to know you are ok. Please dont do this to me. Youre breaking my heart_

 _Hinata I want you. Im so stupid and dumb and I messed up but please let me see you I need you in my life hinata_

 _I made a mistake. A horrible mistake that I wish I could undo. I never want to hurt you and im so sorry that I did. Please just answer my call_

 _Hinata_

 _Please_

 _Please_

 _Please_

 _I need you. I need you in my life hinata_

 _I love you and only you and I'm so stupid because it has to be you._

A cry escaped from her throat and soon, she could hear herself screaming in pain. Tears were falling so hard that her vision was obscured and snot was coming down her nose but she didn't care. It hurt. It hurt so much that she felt she was going to fall down and just die. She hated him. She hated him so much.

 _Please jst let me see you hinata. Im crying in my car and I need to see you. Please just talk to me and make things right. I love you hinata. I love you more than anything and I need you._

Hinata blocked his number.

When she opened her eyes, Hinata realized that it was completely dark. Rubbing her eyes, she felt the stickiness of her tears and snot and the situation flashed quickly through her mind. She smiled bitterly. "If only it were a dream," she muttered as she turned on the lights. It was already 12:45. She glanced at her phone. There were a lot of calls, all from Naruto's friends.

 _Hinata plz pick up. Naruto is a mess rite now!_

 _What's going on, hinata?! Naruto told me you're done with him?_

 _Hinata, call me._

Hinata sighed. They knew. They all knew and none of them had the guts to warn her. They all knew and just acted like they didn't see, like everything was perfectly fine while she acted like a happy clown, oblivious to the fact that the man she loved so much was cheating on her.

"Hinata." The small whimper shocked her and she nearly jumped. "Hinata, please open the door." It was his voice. Naruto. Dread filled her and she stood, unsure of what she wanted to do. On the other side of her bedroom door stood the man she had dedicated 4 years of her life to. The man she was planning to marry one day. The man who cheated on her. She was glad that she had locked the bedroom door.

"Hinata, please. I need to see you. I need to hold you." Hinata could hear his sobs and whimpers and she felt her heart break. She hated it when he cried. Of all the people in the world, she wanted Naruto to be happy. She leaned against the door and took a deep breath. "Naruto," she said, tired, "move back."

She was greeted by his swollen eyes and tears. "Hinata." He gasped upon seeing her equally red and swollen face. "Hinata, I love you. Hinata, please." He rushed to hug her, to pull her in his arms and hug her. To embrace her so tightly so that she could become one with him and he would never lose her again. To make her see that in his heart, he truly did love her. But she pulled away, an expression of fear and sadness plastered on her face.

"Please," Naruto sobbed. "Hinata, I know I messed up. I know. And even though I've messed up so much in the past, you've been the one person who has been able to love me and accept me. You've been the only one person who has believed in me and I'm so dumb. I'm so dumb and it took losing you to realize how much I love you and how much I need you." Tears were streaming down his face and Hinata hated it. She hated it when he looked like an unsure child because it just made her want to pull him into her arms and comfort him. To let him know that no matter what, she would love him and that he deserved love.

But instead, she took his hand and led him to the door. Naruto started bawling. His cries ripped at her heart and his begs tore at her will. "Please Hinata. I need you. Hinata, I love you."

"Just give me one more chance Hinata. I'll never hurt you again." His eyes were so filled with desperation and fear that for a moment, Hinata hesitated. This was the man she had spent 4 years with. The man she wanted to marry.

Hinata pushed him out and locked the door.

A/N: This isn't a one-shot. It seems like it. But it's not. :D


	2. Chapter 2

Naruto had always been his best friend, even before he was willing to admit that the golden boy was his friend. Naruto just had that effect on everyone. No one could hate him for long. So Sasuke couldn't hate him even when Naruto confided that he was cheating.

"I love her. I love her a lot," Naruto had told him. "But…sometimes, I just wish that she wasn't so…in love with me. I love her. I love that she loves me so much. I just wish that it wasn't this much." And Sasuke had silently understood. It wasn't that he was making excuses for his best friend. Naruto was scared. Naruto was scared of Hinata's love. Of receiving love.

"You know…I think one day, I'm really going to marry her. Hinata, I mean. Not Shion. She's a really nice girl though. Very pretty too. It's unbelievable I was able to score a total babe." Naruto had grinned, his foxy mischievous grin that Sasuke hated sometimes. Most of the time. "Her boobs are huge. Much bigger than Hinata's."

Now, Sasuke watched as tears rolled down his friend's face, which was drawn into a blank passive mask. "She won't talk to me," Naruto croaked, his dead eyes not moving from the wall. He had been like that since that morning, when he had stumbled into Sasuke's house. "She wouldn't even let me touch her."

He lifted his hands to his face, staring at them like they were filthy. Like they were covered in blood. Like he had innocent blood on his hands that he would never be able to wash off. Sasuke had only seen Naruto like this once and that was when Jiraiya died.

"You already knew that this might happen." There was nothing for Sasuke to pity in this case. His best friend had known the consequences and had still done it. He was merely paying the price for his actions now. Sasuke opened his fridge and took out a chilled water bottle. "Drink it. You need to stay hydrated."

Naruto just placed the cold bottle on his swollen eyes before giving a short bitter laugh. "I didn't think it would ever happen," he confessed bitterly. "I thought that I could end it on my own terms and then just marry Hinata without them finding out." "Rather selfish of you. That's why it didn't work out." Sasuke stated bluntly. "They're not stupid. They were bound to find out."

"No! Hinata was supposed to stay with me!" Sasuke raised his gaze to look Naruto in the eye. He looked like a terrified animal, caught in a hunter's trap. His eyes were bloodshot. He had never seen Naruto look so pathetic before.

"She was never supposed to give up on me. She never gave up on me. Ever. Even when no one believed in me, Hinata did," Naruto rambled desperately. "I love her, Sasuke. I love her."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have cheated on her." Upon seeing Naruto's hurt face, Sasuke quickly deduced that it wasn't the best thing to say, but he wasn't the best at being supportive and cheering people up anyways. If Naruto wanted to be comforted, surely he would have gone to Sakura or Iruka instead.

"It was a mistake. A horrible mistake that just spiraled out of hand," his best friend whispered regretfully. "Shion also loved me a lot. She was always so beautiful. So intriguing and exciting to be with. I didn't want to hurt her." His lower lip trembled. "I didn't want to hurt either of them."

"I should have just ignored her when I first met her. I shouldn't have said hi to her. I shouldn't have tried to get involved with her. I need Hinata." The blond was bawling at this point. "I need Hinata, Sasuke. I need her to know I love her and that I'm sorry. I messed up so badly and I need her. I need to see her."

Sasuke watched as his best friend cried, unsure of what to do. Naruto had messed up, yes, but this was still his best friend. This was still Naruto, who had stood by him since they met in kindergarten. The one friend who had come to his house every day to check up on him when his parents died in a car crash. The one friend who never gave up on him, even when he pushed everyone away.

Sasuke sighed. "I warned you a long time ago. That what you were doing was wrong. I told you that you would get caught because they're not stupid. Hinata is quiet, and she trusts you a lot, yes. But she's definitely not stupid. Shion….is definitely not afraid to find out the truth. And that's where you messed up."

Talking about relationships was definitely not his area of expertise, Sasuke quickly decided.

"If you want her, just go after her." The blond forced out a dry laugh at the suggestion. "And you don't think I did? I stood by her bedroom door for hours. When she pushed me out of her apartment, I stood there, begging her to just listen. To just give me another fucking chance. She won't even give me a chance!"

Naruto stood, his fists clenched and his expression angry. "It's not that easy!"

Sasuke watched silently as his friend stormed out, slamming the door on the way. He sighed. He had tried, hadn't he? It wasn't like he was a relationship expert and this was one of the reason why he didn't want to get involved in the first place. It was too touchy. It was too emotional. It was too raw and scary because everything could just blow up, like it did in this case.

Except he wouldn't have cheated on a girl, if he did ever end up dating one. Sasuke sniffed at the thought. Girls. The source of all troubles. Except maybe Hinata. She was quiet and was pleasant to be around because she never forced conversation with him. She just accepted that he was there and never tried to force her opinions or activities on him. In a way, it made her boring because she seemed to have no character, unlike Sakura who always made her presence known.

But Hinata was different, in a good way. She was comforting, like a warm blanket or an old hoodie or something cheesy along those lines. Sasuke scowled at his train of thought.

 _Is Naruto ok? Shion confronted me about lying to protect Naruto. She wants nothing to do with us. I feel horrible. :( I haven't heard from Hinata at all. She hasn't replied at all and I'm tempted to just go and break down her door!_

Sasuke paused, thinking quickly before he replied. _**Let's go.**_

 _Wait, what? To Hinata's house? Now?_

 _ **Yes.**_

 _:O Is this really Sasuke?_

 _ **Yes. Meet by her house in 15.**_

 _This is completely serious, isn't it? :( if you're willing to go, that means things are completely bad. I'm worried. Should we ask Naruto to come along?_

 _ **No.**_

Without bothering to reply to the next text, Sasuke quickly pulled out the keys to his car. He knew what he was doing was completely absurd. It was very unlike him. But Naruto was his friend and Hinata was Naruto's special person. He might not have been the best with words, but he was a man of action and he was going to go see Hinata Hyuuga.

It was actually very weird. He himself felt odd driving to her apartment complex alone. Naruto had dragged him there several times and he was familiar with the building, but now, Naruto wasn't there. Hinata probably hated him. Sasuke sighed, and then frowned at himself. He had been sighing too much today.

Before he knew it though, he was already by her door, hand raised to press the doorbell. He faltered. Maybe he should wait for Sakura? No, she was going to take too long. There was no time to waste. Quickly in and quickly out. He rang the doorbell, listening to the familiar chime echo through the silent home.

"Just a moment." Sasuke could tell she was tired, just by the sound of her voice and for an instant, he felt awkward as hell. What was he doing? Hinata looked surprised to see him when she opened the door, but she didn't look angry, he noted. Just tired. With red swollen eyes, like Naruto.

"Is it ok if I come in?" he asked hesitantly. She stiffened, and he could practically see the gears turning in her head. He knew her, however, and she was too polite to push him away.

"Make yourself at home," the girl answered finally as she opened the door all the way for him. Sasuke was thankful. He was not a fan of dramatic confrontation scenes.

Hinata led him to the living room and he took a seat on the clean brown couch before looking at her expectantly. She looked very tired and upon closer observation, she had dark bags under her eyes.

"I will make some tea," she said after a while. "Please wait." Sasuke nodded. It wasn't like he was dying to make conversation anyways.

He took the opportunity to look around the room and felt a huge lump begin to form in the pit of his stomach. There were signs of Naruto everywhere. Pictures of Naruto and Hinata decorated the walls. Naruto's bright orange hoodie that he thought he had lost was thrown on top of a chair. Naruto's frog slippers that he liked to wear because he hated cold wood flooring were by the door. A blanket with little whirlpool designs was folded neatly in the love seat opposite from him.

Honestly, he felt bad for the girl. No matter where she looked, Naruto's presence was there.

It was overwhelming, even for him. Sasuke cleared his throat, catching Hinata's confused glance. "It will just be a moment," she called, as she prepared snacks by the kitchen counter.

Sasuke nodded, even though she couldn't see. He was use to silence.

When the silent woman placed the cup of tea in front of him, he couldn't help but notice she moved with a certain grace, even though her face was tired and a bit pale. Back in college, the girl had been a bit of a klutz, which always made Naruto laugh and shout that she was so cute. Sasuke found it a bit annoying. He was a bit glad that the girl had grown out of that phase.

He watched as the girl tucked away some of her dark raven hair behind her ear before she silently sipped her tea. The room was quiet.

Sasuke didn't understand how such a quiet woman could be with Naruto, who was typically so loud and bright. Shion definitely was a bit louder and opinionated. He cursed silently at himself for that inappropriate thought. If she heard it, she did not let it show on her face.

"How is Naruto?" She asked after a while. "Is he doing well?"

"He came over today."

"Ah." Silence. Sasuke felt drained from the tense situation. It was like walking on ice that was shattering beneath his feet with every step. Hinata didn't seem like the type of girl to throw anything at him or start crying like crazy though, and for that he was thankful. He was no good at providing comfort, much less to a crying girl that had been cheated on by his best friend.

"How are you?" He started hesitantly. "Are you ok?" Hinata just stared at him. Her pale milky eyes unnerved him. Was that guilt that was bubbling from the pit of his stomach?

"I am ok. Surprised. Tired. Drained."

"Do you still love him?" When she looked like she had just been slapped in the face, Sasuke quickly added, "He needs you to talk to him. He is a mess right now."

"What?"

"When Jiraiya died. That was the only time that I saw him look this bad." He paused. "You know him. You know that he pretends he is fine, even when he is not. Right now, he can't even pretend that he is ok." Again, he paused. What was he honestly doing?

"This is Naruto. You understand him best." He knew that he was treading on eggshells when a faint flicker of emotion flashed through her eyes. He couldn't tell if it was anger. He had honestly never seen the quiet girl angry before. The thought scared him, a bit more than it should.

Still, he continued. "I have grown up with Naruto. He is not…exactly who he portrays himself to be. He has been hurt. He has been through a lot. I can say this honestly, that he never meant to hurt you."

"So…you're saying that just because it is who he is, I should take him back?" She replied, her voice devoid of emotion. "Because he is Naruto, I should understand that he has gone through so much and just accept that he had been lying to me for several months? Even if he cheats on me, I should forgive him, just because he is Naruto?"

For an instant, Sasuke was reminded of Neji. The cold eyes, the expressionless face, the accusatory tone. He had forgotten that the two were cousins. Hinata had always had that pleasant peaceful aura around her, but now, Sasuke felt like he was staring at the haughty genius.

It didn't help at all that Neji also had long hair. Neji was probably going to kill Naruto.

"He is not the hero of some shounen manga," Hinata continued. "This is not a drama. Or a game. This is real. And in real life, people get hurt. In real life, the hero doesn't always get a happy ending."

"I'm not saying that it is. I'm just asking you to talk to him. To just see him for a minute. That's all."

"So you can all lie to me again?" Sasuke felt shame expanding in the pit of his stomach. Hinata sat there, her gaze now focused on the design of the tea cup. It became quiet.

Finally, she turned away from him. "I think it is best if you leave now." Her tone was icy and clipped. He had never heard her sound like that before. Sasuke stood up to leave. Sakura still wasn't here yet, but she could deal with everything on her own.

"Hinata." He was going to plead just this one time. "Just so you know, he really did love you, you know? He always talked about you and bragged that he was going to marry you one day. He loved you the most, more than he has ever loved anyone."

"Will you please, just see him?" She responded by pointing to the door. Sasuke felt his mouth go dry. He knew she would be angry, but still, a little part of him had hoped that maybe, just _maybe_ , everything could be fixed. That next year, Naruto would have finally have enough to surprise her with that diamond ring he had been saving up for. That Hinata would say yes. That one day, he would be the godfather to a milky eyed blond boy or girl, who he would secretly spoil.

But no. Everything was broken beyond repair. Sasuke closed his eyes, just soaking in the silence. It was too late. "Naruto still loves you."

"Please tell Sakura that I'm not home." He nodded. He had just opened the door when she stopped him with her words. "Sasuke." He turned back to face her, but she was now focused on the orange hoodie. "Naruto. He is lucky to have a friend like you." She smiled faintly, a little bit of her old self returning, at least in the softness of her eyes. "Tell him that he should be careful not to mess up."

 _Like he did with me_. She did not say it out loud, but he understood the hidden meaning. Sasuke just nodded.

XOXOX

Sasuke stared at his ceiling, unable to even entertain the thought of sleeping. It was 11 and the silence of the night had already wrapped everyone under its spell. All except him because his mind was elsewhere, running through lush green fields with blond haired milky eyed children.

It was so odd; he never thought that Hinata's relationship with Naruto would end up impacting him this much. He was glad that his best friend had found happiness, but he never knew it would affect his future as well. It was scary. It was heartbreaking. It would probably never come true.

"Sasuke." He turned his head to face his friend, who sat not too far away. When he had come back from Hinata's apartment, the blonde had already returned. He didn't ask where he went and Naruto didn't inquire.

"Was she ok?" Sasuke scoffed. So he did know. Sakura probably told him. "She looked like you." "Ah." Silence. Naruto shifted slightly, the soft swishing of his clothes echoing through the silent room. "Do you think that she still loves me?"

"Probably. That's why she won't see you."

"You think so?" Naruto's voice was so small, so unsure. "I honestly want her back. I just want to hold her again. I just want to hear her voice again." Sasuke could hear Naruto's heart breaking inside his chest. When Naruto spoke again, his voice was quivering. It wasn't often that Sasuke heard him sound so heartbroken, but he knew that he would have to get used to it. Everything had been damaged too badly for it to be easily be fixed with a few words.

"I didn't even realize that I loved her this much. I knew I loved her and I knew she loved me a lot. But I never even thought I would be capable of loving her to this extent, you know? And I had to find this out by losing her." He laughed bitterly. Tears were dropping silently onto his shirt, forming a wet stain. "I was so confused by her sometimes, you know? How could she love me that much, even when all I did was fuck up? How could she keep standing by me and still love me? And I was so stupid. I pushed her, again and again and now I pushed too hard and she can't love me anymore."

"I never even did anything loving or romantic for her. I always just kept taking all the love she had for me, and I never even threw her a birthday party. She always surprised me with a present, something I always ended up needing, and I never even took the time to put effort in selecting a gift for her."

Sasuke watched silently as his best friend broke apart, drowning out his cries and his words of regrets. It was too late. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine a more peaceful time, filled with Naruto's annoyingly loud laugh and Hinata's pink cheeks.

But behind his eyelids, all he saw were pained blue eyes, cold milky white orbs, and laughing children that he knew he would never be able to meet.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for all the reviews and criticism. I am so glad that I was able to touch your hearts with my writing, but there is one thing that I would like to clear up: **Naruto is not the villain in my story.** We often assign roles to others, but love and life is not in black and white. There are no good guys and bad guys; just people who love and people who get hurt.

Here is chapter 3! I hope it is to your satisfaction.

_XOXOX_

" _Just follow me. It's a surprise." Hinata giggled as she covered her eyes with her right hand. "Where are you taking me?" She reached around blindly and gave a small shriek when a warm hand gently grabbed her smaller one. "It's a secret."_

 _It was a voice that filled her with so much happiness. The faint teasing tone helped her to imagine bright sunshine and whiskered cheeks. So soft. She wanted to melt._

" _Don't let me trip!" She laughed. His grip tightened, but she heard him laugh, that low rumbling laugh that made whirlpools form in the pit of her stomach. It always made her feel like she was being sucked in deeper in deeper. Like she was drowning._

 _She didn't feel scared though. She was so happy. She was drowning in happiness. She was drowning in him._ _ **Naruto**_ _._

" _We're here. Open your eyes now."_ _She nodded and slowly opened her eyes, one at a time, before she gasped. It was beautiful. Flowers were everywhere that she could see. Small ones. Little ones. Bright ones that flaunted themselves. So beautiful._

 _He was so beautiful. Naruto. Naruto. Naruto._

 _Naruto with his beautiful eyes that reminded her of the blue sky on a sunny day, that always made her feel warm and safe and like she was home, no matter where she went. Naruto, with his blonde hair that looked like a prickly bush, but was so soft to touch that she wished she was a miniature fairy so she could just bury herself in it and sleep. Naruto, with his smile that he saved just for her, so shy, yet so brave. Her Naruto._

" _Hinata." He was down on one knee, looking so unsure of himself, but at the same time, so confident. How did he even do that? Hinata smiled, feeling so warm inside. Only Naruto could pull that off._

" _Hinata. Don't laugh." Her heart was beating so fast. Why was it beating so fast all of a sudden? She wasn't sure, but she liked it. She liked him. She loved him._

 _Was his heart beating as fast as hers? She hoped so. She really hoped so. "Naruto," she breathed, as she reached down to stroke his face. There it was again. That warm content smile that he only flashed towards her. So warm, like he was so amazed to see her and never wanted her to leave his sight. Her cheeks flushed as he grabbed her smaller hands in his. "Hinata," he breathed happily. "Hinata, I have something important to tell you."_

 _She held her breathe as he reached down into his pocket. Yes. Yes. Oh god yes. The answer was yes. She wanted to shout it. To scream it. To proclaim it to everyone at the top of her lungs. She loved him. So yes. Yes, yes, yes._

" _Hinata," tears were beginning to form in her eyes from happiness, "Hinata, I'm cheating on you."_

Hinata woke up with a start, her eyes wide. When did she fall asleep? Why was she all wet and sticky? Where was she?

"Are you ok?" Kiba's worried voice reached her ears and she sighed in relief. It was just Kiba's room. Not Naruto's room. Not Naruto's house. She hadn't run back to him. Yes.

"I'm fine," she lied, with a pained smile, "I just had a bad dream. A nightmare, really." Anger flashed through his brown eyes and he plopped down beside her on his brown comfy couch. A little whistle escaped from his mouth and Akamaru, his huge white dog came running in from the kitchen, pouncing on her. Hinata shrieked, nightmare temporarily forgotten.

"Akamaru always makes nightmares go away with his kisses," Kiba teased, "Just let him do his magic." She screamed with laughter as she attempted to shield her face from the wet dog kisses. She loved them, really she did. Why was she so lucky?

He grinned before he pushed the big mutt off, much to Akamaru's displeasure. He whined slightly before settling at the feet, content to chew at his bone.

A bit breathless, Hinata giggled as she wrapped the warm blanket around herself. She was really so thankful to be here. Not there. Not where she was always haunted by _him_.

"You're still thinking about him, even now, right?" She winced, causing him to sigh. "Y'know, I'm not the smartest guy in the world. Ya got Shino and Neji for that. But it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you really loved that guy with all your heart." She nodded. What was his point?

"It's been 3 days since you came over. And I'm not trying to kick you out or nothing. It's just that, I know I'm not the only one worried about you. I don't care about your job. Hell, I honestly don't even care about that Neji. But I know you do. I know you care. And that's why I'm going to push you to go back out there."

Kiba grinned, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. It was so sad, she thought. Like Naruto, she always could count on his teasing and his laughter. It was just…Kiba. Wild and free, yet so understanding and warm.

"If I had known that he was a two-timing dickwad, I would have killed him the moment he set his eyes on you. I would have maimed him there, on the spot," Kiba growled. "Even now, I want to hunt him down and skin him alive. That bastard…"

"I trusted that bastard." He looked so hurt. So betrayed. Hinata hugged him and they just stayed that way, basking in the silence because yes, she knew. She knew how much Kiba cared for her. She knew that if she didn't stop him, Kiba really would go hunt down Naruto, even if he had to reach the end of the world to accomplish it. This was Kiba, after all. Her brother. Her best friend.

"If only I had known. I would have stopped him at all costs."

"It's already done," Hinata whispered silently. "There's nothing we can do about it." Kiba shook his head.

"Yes, there is." She cocked her head, slightly confused. He just smirked. "We could always ask Shino to help place some of his prize bee hives around the dude's house. Sure he wouldn't mind sparing us a couple." The thought couldn't help but bring a giggle to her mouth. Naruto was terrified of being stung, even though he wasn't allergic. The amount of bees alone would cause him to barricade himself indoors.

"We couldn't do that," she laughed, "Those bees will probably cause Shino a hundred dollars!" Kiba winked, his smirk widening. "You underestimate Shino, doll. He'd glad spare a few millions for the sake of justice." He got up, striking a superman pose, his face gravely serious, although his eyebrows did twitch a bit. "After all, he is…BEEEEEE-man! He has the power!"

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't give me such a tacky name," a low voiced replied from the doorway. "Not even a little bit original." Shino's tone of voice seemed unamused, but she had known him far too long to know that he probably smiled a bit upon hearing Kiba's unoriginal hero call.

"And what would you recommend then, your greatness?" Shino smirked before he replied. "That works."

Hinata laughed, happy to be surrounded by her two dearest friends. It had been so long since they had last come together. Kiba had always been busy with his dogs and Shino was…Shino. Mysterious. He was always buzzing around, never settling in just one place. Always on business, as he would say.

Her laughter faded as a cold feeling settled in the pits of her stomach. They had been so busy. If this hadn't happened, they all probably wouldn't have gotten together until…maybe her wedding day.

"I heard what happened." Shino's cold voice surprised her. Shivering, she just nodded, wrapping the warm blanket even tighter around herself. Her throat was suddenly so dry, but she knew Shino would understand, even if she didn't speak. He just knew. He was Shino.

"How the hell did you even get inside anyways?" Kiba interrupted. She knew he was trying to change the subject, and felt a little thankful. He wasn't the most tactful, but she was grateful. It was too soon. Too sore.

"Do you want me to kill him?" Shino continued, ignoring the question. "I could kill him. You know I would." Hinata blinked, before turning to look at her friend. Really look at him. This wasn't like Kiba, who was hurt and betrayed. This was pure anger. Hatred. Revulsion. Disgust. She shivered. She had not seen him this mad since….middle school? No, she didn't even remember. He had always been so composed.

"If she would let me, I already would have done it," Kiba growled. "Don't think I haven't offered."

Shino said nothing. Instead, he walked over, silently and held out his hand to her. "Give me your hand." Hinata stared into his eyes, unsure and a bit scared. But this was not Naruto. This was not the man who had lied to her. This was Shino, who had stood by her side since they had first met. Shino, who had always stood by her side, quietly supporting her, quietly protecting her. She gave him her hand.

It happened so quickly, she couldn't help but let a soft gasp escape from her lips. One moment, she was on the couch, the next, she was in his arms. He was soft and warm, but a bit awkward. Exactly like Shino was. "I am sorry," she heard him say quietly, "It's going to be ok."

Was it really going to be ok? Hinata could feel her heart breaking at those words. She was so unsure. How was she supposed to recover from this? How could she ever face everyone again?

 _It's going to be ok._

She could feel her eyes begin to burn with unshed tears. She had been trying so hard not to cry again. She wanted to be strong for once. She felt Kiba also wrap his arms around her and the brick wall that she was trying so desperately to build around her heart began to crumble. Being in the embrace of her two brothers, she could feel the tears begin to bubble up inside her, scrambling desperately to be released.

"It's ok. You can just cry." Shino's voice was so gentle, so relaxing. "It's ok to cry."

So in the warm arms of her brothers, Hinata allowed herself to cry. Like a child, she cried, for her future, her past, and for a love that would never be.

XOXOXOXOX

Hinata stared at her front door, unsure of what to do. It was her apartment, one she had lived in for a few years now. It was her home, yet at the same time, she couldn't go in.

She knew that as soon as she turned on the lights in that overly familiar building space, the warm colors would invade her, choking her, taunting her of a man with blue eyes and golden hair. The whirlpool blanket would try to seduce her, reminding her of late nights spent giggling and passionate moans.

She shook her head, trying to strengthen her spirit. It was her home. Not his. It had never been his. She took out her keys and silently holding her breath as she unlocked her door, she flung the door open. It was quiet. All the lights were turned off.

Of course they were. What was she expecting? For Naruto to be sitting at the kitchen table, waiting for her with his foxy grin? The thought stung. She never was going to see him again, was she? No. She probably was going to see him. They had similar friends after all. Did she want to see him again? Would she ever want to see him again? Again, she felt that stinging sensation in her chest.

She had never imagined a life without him before. Ever since he had waltzed into her life, he had been like a stone statue; unmoving, unchanging. If there was one thing she had counted on in her life, it had been him and now she was so confused.

But there was no time to be confused. He had made his decision when he cheated on her and this time, she would not forgive him. She would not. She could not.

A knock at her door jolted her out of her thoughts and she stilled before she turned towards the door, her heart frozen in her lungs. "I'm not ready," she panicked out loud, "I'm not ready."

The knock came again. Shakily, she walked towards the door, before peeking out. Relief flooded her entire body. Instead of a blonde mop of hair, it was a beautiful deep red. She didn't know anyone with red hair though, so she hesitantly opened the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked the stranger politely. He was wearing a clean black t-shirt and grey sweats, and despite his cool, nonchalant exterior, she could tell he was a bit uncomfortable.

"My sister said that I should come over and say hi. We just moved in next door," he mumbled softly, not making eye contact. "My sister and brother have both tried to introduce themselves, but you weren't home."

"Oh! I see. I've been out…on vacation, yes," she explained quickly. His eyes flicked up towards her face at the slight pause but he didn't say anything or ask any further questions. Hinata stood there, waiting for any further comments, but there were none.

It was strange; he was the one at her door, but it was as though he did not know what to do with himself. She felt a bit of sympathy for him. She wasn't the best at introductions herself. Finally, she smiled a little and held out her hand. "My name is Hinata Hyuuga."

This time, their eyes connected and she tried not to shiver under his strong piercing gaze. His eyes were such a beautiful seafoam green, but perhaps it was the eyeliner that he wore that made them seem to have a speck of blue in the correct light. She had never seen eyes like his before. It was a bit unnerving.

"Gaara." He answered finally as he awkwardly shook her hand. She nodded. "Gaara. I will remember that."

He pulled his hand away from hers, as though unsure of himself and scratched the back of his neck, looking away. "Well, if you ever need anything," he murmured, looking away, "just knock. My sister's name is Temari. I'm sure she'll help out if you need anything."

"Thank you."

Again, silence washed over them. Hinata looked at her feet, unsure of what to say or do. She didn't want to be rude, in case there was something he needed. Why wasn't he saying anything though?

"Gaara, is she there?" She could see relief flooding into his body and finally, he didn't look so tense and unsure of himself. She couldn't help but laugh a little bit. So it wasn't just her thinking too much. He probably felt uncomfortable as well.

He turned to look at her, looking a bit puzzled, and she stopped, although the smile didn't fade from her lips. A woman looking just a bit older than Gaara walked up to them, a coy smile on her lips. Hinata noticed that the woman kept rubbing her slightly round stomach out of habit and wondered if she was pregnant.

"No, I'm just fat," the woman teased, causing Hinata to flush a bright red. She threw her head back and laughed, strong and so rambunctious that Hinata was a bit surprised. "I'm just kidding with yah. I'm due with this little butthole soon." The woman grinned, although Hinata couldn't help but notice that she looked very proud as she kept rubbing her stomach.

Hinata smiled politely. "I'm Hinata. You must be Temari?" Temari nodded as she stuck out her hand. "Yep. Gaara's older sister. We just moved here from Suna. Trying to get a change of scenery for when the baby comes." "If you don't mind me asking, is it a boy or girl? Is it still too early to tell?"

Temari shook her head, as she gazed down at her stomach fondly. "It's going to be an annoying little boy," she whispered happily, "hopefully, he won't be so much of a crybaby."

Hinata felt a slight flash of jealousy flicker down her stomach, but she quickly suppressed it. She was happy for her neighbor. Really.

"Congratulations," Hinata tried to sound cheerful, "it must be nice to have a baby in the family soon." From the corner of her eye, she saw Gaara shake his head just slightly, as though telling her otherwise. Temari must have saw it too and she grabbed Gaara, pulling him into the conversation.

"Speaking of babies, I take it my baby brother Gaara has tried to introduce himself?" Gaara frowned and opened his mouth to say something, but Temari beat him to it. "He's not the most friendly guy, but he does mean well. We don't really know anyone in this area, and you guys look to be the same age, so I hope you can help him out from time to time." Temari grinned, which couldn't help but make Hinata slightly uncomfortable.

"I have another brother named Kankuro. He works a lot, but if you ever see him around, don't be afraid to say hi! He's an okay guy, promise." Hinata nodded. She could see that Temari was just trying to be friendly and she really did care for her brothers, which meant that she couldn't be a bad person.

"Feel free to come over for anything really," Temari added as she began to drag Gaara away to their door, "like I said, we're neighbors now and I hope we can get along."

Again, Hinata could only nod as the two walked away. Temari was like a strong wind, steering the conversation and situation in her favor. She was so strong, Hinata couldn't help but admire her. Before she closed the door, she paused and looked at the door of her new neighbors.

Gaara. Temari. Kankuro. Perhaps the father of the baby hadn't moved in with them yet? Temari hadn't mentioned anything about him, but she had looked happy to talk about her baby. Hinata shrugged it off. There was no use thinking about other people's business. If they wanted her to know, they would tell her in due time. In the meantime, she had a house to clean up and sort out.

She walked into the living room, the whirlpool blanket catching her eye right away. She picked it up, her heart fluttering with sadness. She couldn't bear to use it again. But maybe, there was a new life that could benefit from the warmth and love that came with the memories that she had sewn into that blanket.


	4. Naruto

She always told him that he was her first love. It was something that excited him and made him so happy. Of the millions and billions of people in this world, she had picked him to fall in love with? Him, who no one wanted to pick for their team when they were playing dodgeball in elementary school? Him, who never even received a Valentine's day present until he was 18? It was amazing. She made him feel so amazing.

But it also made him so scared. Was he good enough? What if she changed her mind? What if she was just going to leave him? What if he gave her his heart and she decided to just smash it because he really was just an insecure little boy underneath his tough façade?

He opened his eyes. The blinding sunlight seemed to pierce at his eyes and he gave a slight growl. What time was it already?

The chime from his phone alerted him to missed calls and messages and he sighed as he sat up. _We need to talk._

Shion. He wanted to just hold his breath and die. Why couldn't it be her? Why couldn't it be her with her kind gentle voice and her forgiving love that she always wrapped around him? Why couldn't it be Hinata instead?

 _You aren't trying to kill yourself or anything are you? Come over._

He didn't want to. He honestly never wanted to see her again. He didn't want to see her ever again. He hated her. No…he hated himself and she was proof of his hatred towards himself. Proof of his sin.

"Good morning," he could hear her soft voice whisper into his ear, "what do you want for breakfast?" He shivered, even though he knew he was only imagining her voice in his head. She always made him feel so warm.

How many days had it been since he had seen her? How long had it been since he had heard her loving laugh? How long had it been since she last touched him? It was only a few days, and yet it felt like an eternity.

God, he loved her. He loved her so much. He wished that he could just pull her into his arms again. Hinata, Hinata, Hinata.

Why hadn't he told her more that he loved her when he had the chance? Why hadn't he kissed those pink lips of hers more when they had sat together, wrapped in that loving blanket that she had made for just him? Why hadn't he listened more to her sweet voice when she talked about her life? Why hadn't he just loved her more?

Tears stung at his eyes before they fell, dripping down his face. He felt so numb. He felt so tired.

Everyone was right. All the teachers were right when they said that he was going to fuck up his life. The foster parents were right when they told him that he did not know how to love anyone. They were all right.

 _You owe me this much. We need to talk._

He hated himself so much. Why couldn't he just love her normally, like the way she loved him? Why did he have to destroy her smiling face, just because he couldn't love properly? He hated himself. He wanted to die. He wanted to just die.

 _You've wasted so much of my time. I at least deserve an explanation as to why you did this to me. I honestly loved you, you know that? And now you're just going to go missing? You're horrible._

He knew that he would have to see her. But he didn't want it to be today. He didn't want it to be tomorrow either. Or the day after. Or the next. It was odd. He had spent so much time with her, but now, it meant nothing because Hinata was gone. His home was gone.

He blinked. Why was it honestly so bright? The blank white walls told him that he was in Sasuke's guest bedroom, yet again. He hadn't been home for a week now, but he found he didn't miss it much. It wasn't a home anymore anyways and he knew that if he entered, her smell would invade him, taunting him and reminding him that she would always hate him.

Sasuke hadn't said anything to him since he had gone to meet Hinata, but since then, he was different. He had always been quiet, but now, it was like he was completely absorbed in his thought. He didn't want to know what had changed his best friend but he knew it was his fault. He had not only hurt the girl of his dreams, he had shattered something inside his best friend.

It hurt him. Why did he keep hurting everyone?

He sighed and shivered slightly as his feet made contact with the cold wooden flooring. He hated that sensation. He needed his little frog slippers that Hinata had bought for him. No. He didn't want to see them again because if he didn't see them, then maybe there was still a chance Hinata was holding onto it for him. That maybe Hinata could still forgive him for messing up. There was still hope.

He laughed coldly at his own desperate thoughts. No. Hinata would never be able to forgive him and he would never be able to forgive himself. But still, he wanted to believe that maybe she could love him again. He wanted to just hold her and cry. He needed to just hold her in his arms once again.

He shook his head, trying to clear out the depressing thought. He reached for the pair of pants that always magically appeared by the bed stand every morning. It was probably Sakura. Sasuke was not that kind.

His phone vibrated again and angrily, he glared at it. 2 missed calls. Shion. He growled in disgust before he stuffed his phone into his pant pocket. It met with resistance, which surprised him a bit before his heart sank into the endless pits of his stomach.

Slowly, he reached into his pocket and he could feel the soft velvety texture beneath his fingers. His breath froze as he dug it out. Time froze. The bright light streaming in from the windows didn't even bother his eyes anymore. A sharp high pitch noise began to ring in his ear. Maybe it was his heart finally giving out.

In his hand was a little black box, with only a little flower trademark engraved on the top. He stroked the edges gently before he shakily forced himself down on one knee. His vision blurred as tears once again bubbled up. Oh god, he wanted to throw up.

He looked up, and in his mind, he could see her. He could see the tears that were forming in her eyes. He could see the way her lashes were now damp with unshed tears of happiness. He could see the way she was wringing her hands, in that cute habit that made his heart beat uncontrollably because even after so many years, he was still able to make her so nervous, just like when they first began dating.

He could see the beautiful blush that was slowly turning her fair skin red and he resisted the urge to just reach out and touch her because then, she would just return to being a vision in his mind. He wanted so badly to hold her. He wanted so badly for her to be there right now.

He gave a shaky wobbly smile that sent tears trailing down his face.

"Hinata," he confessed as he stared into her deep alluring eyes, "Hinata, I love you." He didn't want to break eye contact. He didn't want her to disappear. "Believe me. I've had this ring for a year now. I just didn't want to tell you because I was a chicken. I was a coward and I was afraid because I'm not good enough for you and now, I never will be. But since that night when you kissed me, since that night when you held me in your arms and accepted what a pitiful man I was, I knew I wanted to marry you."

He gulped. His grip on the box tightened when her image began to fade. No. It was too soon for her to disappear.

"Hinata, I made a mistake. I should have gotten down on one knee and asked you and now, I'll never have that chance." Her image was so warm and kind, just like her. His heart twisted painfully in his chest. "Hinata, I never got the chance to make it right. I'm sorry I made you wait. But please…will you marry me?"

Her image faded and a shaky cry escaped his lips. Even in his deluded mind, would she say no? Even in his crazy state of being, was he destined to never hold her in his arms again?

It was just him again in that white room that taunted him of how empty his life was now. Just him. Only him. He wanted to scream and dig out his heart. Why did it hurt so much?

A soft pat on his shoulder alerted him to the new presence. "I'm sorry," Sasuke's low voice rumbled ever so softly, "I did not know that you bought a ring."

He just cried.

XOXOXOXO

"You look horrible." He gave a halfhearted smirk before he sat down across from her. The loud chattering of other customers pounded into his head, just making the horrible headache that he was having worse. "Of all the places," he muttered with a fake smile, "you couldn't have chosen a quieter place?"

Shion rolled her eyes as she played with the straw in her glass. "And miss out the opportunity to show your suffering face to everyone? Thanks, but no thanks. I like this place enough."

"You look like you're doing well." She glared at him, but still he felt nothing. It amused him slightly that he honestly did not even care. He was just so tired.

"Why do you care? You went crying back to your doormat without a second thought," she spoke bitterly, "was I honestly just some fuck toy to you?"

He closed his eyes. He didn't need to see her face to know that even though she was trying to be tough, her eyes were probably glistening with tears and that her lower lip was trembling. "I did care for you," he answered monotonously, "you know that."

"No you didn't! You said you did. You gave me all these sweet words about how I was supposedly the best person you've met in so long. You lied your way into my bed. You didn't love anyone. Not me and definitely not her."

"I did love her." Breathe in, breathe out. He tried to not show anything on his face. She didn't know anything.

She laughed, bitterly and coldly. He could tell that her heart was breaking and that was good.

"You never loved her. Let's be honest. People don't do that to someone they love."

"I love her."

"Then what is love to you? Because clearly I don't understand." He opened his eyes and just looked at her. The restaurant was still bustling with activity and up ahead, he could see an elderly woman lovingly wipe away the ketchup on her husband's face. Ahh. He wanted that.

"Tell me." Her voice was so shrill, so demanding. He just wanted to hear her voice again. The voice that made him feel safe and accepted.

"Love," he replied, "is how I feel about her." Her eyes narrowed and he closed his eyes, expecting her to slap him. It never came.

"You know what," she whispered finally, "I'm glad it ended his way. You cheated on me. I might have cheated on you. What a happy ending."

"You cheated on me?" She shrugged, trying to look nonchalant. "Maybe. Why do you care?"

He just laughed coldly. "I don't. It just goes to show that I made the right choice to not come back to you." Her look of stunned silence and heartbreak melted into his brain. He knew he would never forget that look.

He stood up and sighed. "Good bye Shion. I hope you'll be happy. I'm sorry to have put you through this." Without another word, he turned away and walked out. She didn't stop him and for that, he was glad. He thought that maybe, he would have more to say, and yet his heart was so numb that he just couldn't find words no matter how hard he tried.

The warm rays of the sun warmed his cheek and he paused, just reveling in its gentle caress. He just wished that it was her soft hands that were touching his face.

"Naruto." The low voice surprised him and he turned, finding himself staring into seafoam eyes and blood red hair. "You are…Naruto, right?"

A faint memory tickled the back of his mind. He knew him. The man that stood before him in a white hoodie and blue jeans was so oddly familiar. When he didn't answer, the stranger just gave a slight smile before extending his hand.

"You don't remember me? It's been a long time."

As though to help jar his memory, the stranger brushed his bangs back, revealing a small red scar. "And no, I'm not Harry Potter."

For the first time in a while, Naruto found himself laughing.

"Gaara."


	5. Chapter 4

Sorry for the long delay. I was wandering around on the road of life and I got kicked down pretty hard, but I'm back now. I hope that you guys are still up for reading. Let's get through this together.

XOXOXOXOX

Hinata let out a satisfied puff of air as she sealed up the last cardboard box in front of her. "That should be everything," she mumbled to herself with a small smile. It had taken 3 large cardboard boxes and long hours of crying and reminiscing, but she had gotten it done. She had finally packed away all of his belongings.

She turned to examine the remaining items in her house and ignored the slight pang in her heart when she saw it was quite bare now. "It's ok. Nice time to redecorate," she stated aloud with false cheer. She pulled out her phone and immediately began to punch in familiar digits before she realized what she was doing.

Was she ready to see him again? It hadn't even been a month yet. Was she ready?

Biting her lip lightly, Hinata cleared out the number before searching through her contact list for the familiar name. Sasuke Uchiha. Sakura was also a possibility, but she knew the woman would have too much to say and she wasn't feeling up for it. She was heartbroken, not crazy, and the pink haired woman was not exactly the best at reading the mood.

She took a deep breathe before she hit the dial button. The sound of the phone ringing came, once and then twice. She was secretly a bit relieved that he did not pick up and was going to end the call when his low voice came through. "Hello?"

"Hello? Is this Sasuke?" She silently cursed at herself for being so dumb. Of course it was Sasuke, it was his phone. "Yes. This is…Hinata?"

"Yes." She glanced down at the boxes a few feet away and silently willed her voice to be stronger. She needed this, more than anything. "Can you come over? I have a few boxes I was hoping you could take off my hands." Silence.

"If you are not available, then I understand. I can ask someone else."

"Do you really not want to see him?" His voice was calm and cool. Hinata envied him. "It is for the best," she finally answered honestly. "I hope you understand."

"I…I understand." He cleared his throat. "Would now be a good time? I would not be interrupting anything?"

"Ah, now would be perfect. I just finished and have no plans besides going shopping afterwards." "Shopping?" "Redecorating," Hinata explained, "the apartment is quite bare now. I just want to liven it up a little."

He chuckled faintly from the other end. "Give me 10 minutes."

"Sasuke. Can you please not tell him? That you're coming now?" It was a weird request, one that made him pause for a while. The silence unnerved her. This was Naruto's best friend and she was asking favors from him.

This was the man that had assisted Naruto in lying to her for so long, and yet she had asked him to come over to help her out. "I know that you're his best friend," she whispered when he did not reply, "I would just really appreciate it if you did not tell him. I don't want to see him. Please?"

"We'll talk then." Click. Hinata stared at her phone before a small dry laugh escaped from her. How unexpected. She could only shake her head before she turned to begin pushing the heavy boxes towards the door.

For some reason, they felt so heavy, even though she had taken care not to pack them so full when she had begun to organize his belongings. The first box contained his clothes and she silently thanked herself for being smart enough to have sealed this box off with some strong masking tape. Even though he had not worn them for a while now, his distinct scent had filled her nose the entire time she was packing. It was a smell she had often associated with sunshine, of home, but now, it only filled her with sadness. With misplaced hopes.

She tenderly placed her hand on the second box. It had been the most difficult one to pack because they were all things she had collected with him throughout the years. Even though she had tightly sealed this one as well, she still remembered each item she had put inside. The huge Pikachu plushie that he had won for her on their first date. The cute cellphone charm he had secretly searched all over for when she had told him that she thought it was cute and he had forgotten which store it was from.

Hinata sighed. "Don't do this to yourself," she mumbled sadly, "it's already over. No need to keep torturing yourself." But it still hurt. Like her apartment, her heart was bare. It lacked the color that Naruto had brought along when he rushed into her life.

She was glad when the knock came at her door. "Just a minute," she called out as she walked to the door. Sasuke stood there, hands in his pockets, his expression blank as usual.

"There are only 3 boxes," she babbled as she let him in, "I tried not to pack them too heavy, but it somehow didn't work out that way." He just nodded. Damn Sasuke for being so cool. Hinata shook her head slightly as she walked to her fridge for a bottle of water.

"Here." She handed him the bottle, to which he cocked an eyebrow. "As thanks for not telling him."

"I didn't say that I didn't tell him." She smiled knowingly. "But you didn't bring him." He shrugged as he began lifting the first box into his car. Just the disappearance of the first box felt like a solid punch in her gut. She was really doing this. She was really giving up on them. On HIM.

She took a deep breathe to clear out her shaky nerves. There was no going back now. Naruto was really going to leave her life. Or rather…she was removing him from her life.

Hinata silently cursed under her breathe when she realized she looked like a fool, just standing there twiddling her thumbs while Sasuke did all the heavy lifting. She wasn't a child now. This was her choice.

She had only touched the second box when Sasuke lifted it from her hands. "I'll do it," he grumbled. "That's what I'm here for."

"I-it's really ok!" Hinata half-shouted at him before she blushed at her loud voice. "I can carry it."

Sasuke just stared at her, his dark onyx eyes unchanging before he gave a brief nod. "I see."

He turned to carry the box to his car and Hinata hurriedly trotted after him, carrying the third box in her arms. He worked wordlessly to shift the boxes, expertly placing each box in its spot like an expert gamer playing tetris.

Hinata watched him. His face remained passive and blank, showing nothing of how he felt as he worked quickly. Unlike Naruto, his skin was fair and flawless, but she could tell his hands were worn and experienced. He moved with graceful movements, but so precise, like he always knew what he was doing. She envied him.

He must have noticed that she was staring and he raised a dark brow at her, to which she just smiled back sadly.

"We've known each other for 4 years already," she started quietly, "for as long as I've known Naruto, if not longer. In all this time, I don't think I've ever truly taken time to just look at you for who you are. That's why I was staring."

He shrugged and looked away. "We had class together even before you met the dumbass. But I get it. He was all you ever looked at back then."

"That's not true." She lowered her gaze to her feet, suddenly feeling a bit nervous at being so forward. "I noticed that you were always chased around by Sakura and Ino. So much that you always had a panicked look in your eyes whenever you heard them." She couldn't help but giggle when she visited that particular memory.

"My suffering is amusement to you?" He smirked mockingly. Hinata noted that his eyes shined just a little bit though, and realized he was joking. It was amazing. She had never even held a long conversation with this man like this and she had known him for 4 years.

It was disappointing.

"Thank you for everything," Hinata said finally. "Even after everything, thank you for coming to help me out. You are very kind."

She watched as his face once again transformed into a blank mask. "I am not kind, Hinata."

"You are kind. If you were not kind, you would not have come to my house to pick up these boxes for me and you wouldn't be able to laugh with me. You are kind." And he was. He was kind and it took her 4 years to realize that because she had spent all those years just focused on how amazing Naruto was. She had been so blinded by Naruto that she did not even take time to see the other people around her.

She had lost out on so much.

"You're talking as though we are never going to see each other again." Hinata looked at him, really looked at him. At his piercing gaze and his slightly clenched fists. "We are still friends, are we not?"

"Friends?" Were they really friends? Hinata did not know. She was not sure.

He nodded and turned away to walk into his car, but his voice made her tremble just slightly, with an emotion she couldn't quite place her hands on.

"I'll see you again, Hinata. I promise."

XOXOXO

It was around 9 at night when there came frantic knocking on her door. Hinata quickly peered out to see Gaara, his eyes wide and looking deranged.

"Gaara? What's going on?" She opened the door and immediately he grabbed onto her. "I need to borrow your phone," he gasped out, "Please. Temari. She's bleeding. The baby!"

She connected the dots quickly and pulled out her cellphone to dial for an ambulance. "Where is Temari?" Without another word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her, as though she was a rag doll. As though his life depended on her.

He led her quickly next door, and Hinata noted that in his panic, the door hadn't even been closed. He probably didn't even think of it in his haste.

"Hello? I need an ambulance right away," she instructed when someone finally answered. "My neighbor is having a baby and there's blood and she needs to go to the hospital!"

It all happened so fast, Hinata was surprised with herself. It was like she was on autopilot. She spoke without really hearing herself. She saw everything without really seeing. Temari was on the floor, her face pale, her hands tightly clenching the fabric of her own shirt. Blood was seeping through her dress and down her legs.

"Gaara," she whispered though she was in pain, "it's ok. I'm ok."

Hinata squeezed Gaara's hand, causing him to sharply turn to look at her. His eyes were round and filled with such intense fear. His face was completely pale and his eyeliner was smearing. He looked terrified.

"Gaara, listen to me," Temari rasped out, "I'm going to be ok. It's just a little bleeding."

"I promise. Nothing is going to happen to me or the baby. Gaara, listen." She looked Gaara dead in the eye. "Gaara, I'm not mom. I will be ok."

"Ok." His voice was so small, Hinata couldn't help but hold onto his hand even tighter. He was like a frightened child. So weak and so vulnerable. She couldn't just leave him or Temari.

"The ambulance is going to be here soon," Hinata said softly, "Gaara, do you want to call Kankurou and let him know what's going on?"

He shook his head firmly. "Temari said she will be ok and I believe her. I'll call him when we're at the hospital. That way, he won't freak out too badly work."

Despite her pain, Temari released a small dry laugh. "Oh man, Kankurou goes into full mother hen mode when he freaks out. If he was here, he probably would have just threw me over his shoulder and ran to the hospital. That dumbass."

Hinata laughed. She couldn't help but admire Temari. Even though she was clearly in pain, she was still trying so hard to be strong for them. If it had been her, she probably would have freaked out.

They waited for the ambulance. It was probably only a few minutes but it felt like an hour. Hinata watched the way Gaara's eyes didn't once drift from Temari's pale face and she felt something stir inside her. Maybe it was pity. She wasn't sure.

Temari and Gaara began to talk quietly amongst themselves and feeling like she was intruding, Hinata left the room to go look for the ambulance. She didn't know much about her neighbors, but she could definitely tell that they were close. It was something she couldn't simply place herself in. It was a world she couldn't simply barge into and that was ok.

"Hinata?" Gaara's soft voice brought her out of her thoughts. She noticed that he looked much calmer than before but his hands still shook a bit at his side. She pretended not to notice and instead, offered a small smile.

"Yes?" He looked straight at her, with those piercing eyes that made her slightly uncomfortable. It was like he was peering right into her soul. Like he was seeing everything about her with those seafoam green eyes of his.

"I just wanted to say thanks. If you hadn't been here…" He trailed off and looked away without finishing his thought. "I'm not very good…at talking to people. Sorry if I scared you back there."

He looked so unsure of himself that Hinata felt her heart melting slightly at his misunderstanding. "You didn't scare me back then. You've never scared me."

And it was true. Her red haired neighbor was awkward and quiet, but even when he grabbed her, eyes wide and crazed, she didn't feel scared of him. It was odd.

He looked uncomfortable at those words and opened his mouth to reply when they were interrupted by the shrill sirens of the ambulance. "It's here," he breathed, letting out a sigh of relief.

HInata watched as a small peaceful smile finally crept onto his lips. It was the first time that she had seen her silent neighbor smile. Deep down inside, she secretly hoped that it wouldn't be the last.

OXOXOXO

"I decided to name him Shiro." Hinata stared at the proud grinning mother in front of her. Temari's face was flushed and her damp hair was in disarray, but still, she had never seen such a happier woman.

She just smiled as she handed Temari a cold cup of water. "Why Shiro?"

"I didn't really know what to name the kid honestly. But I like the name Shiro. It means white and I'm hoping that with that name, the kid will grow up to be pure and have a nice peaceful life," Temari explained as she took the cup. "And I damn will try my best to give it to him, I can promise you that much."

Hinata nodded. Made sense. Still, there was something that gnawed at her within. Asking it, however, would probably not be appropriate.

"If you're wondering about my husband, I don't have one."

"I-I didn't say anything!" Temari just smirked. "You don't need to. I've been around enough people to know what they're thinking and yeah, it's not a big deal."

"S-sorry."

Temari sighed and leaned back on her bed. "No need to apologize. Sometimes, you just really like someone, but you have to let them go. Not every story is going to be a fairy tale, but it doesn't necessarily mean that the ending is going to be horrible. It just means that we were not meant to be."

"Oh…was he a nice guy, at least?"

"Yeah. He was a really good man. He was silent, but it was the little things he did that really made me fall for him. He was just always there for me. I just couldn't keep taking advantage of his kindness."

It stung at her heart a little to hear that. Did that mean that Temari still loved that man? Who was he? The questions ate away at her, unable to form from her lips.

"Does he know about the baby?" For once, Hinata saw Temari falter and her eyes flickered with the smallest hint of sadness before she looked away. It was heartbreaking to see her try to act so strong.

"He doesn't know. I didn't tell him." Her voice was so soft and quiet, for a moment, it didn't seem like this woman was the same as the strong Temari who laughed so loud and rambunctiously. Instead, there was just another woman, lost and scared. Alone.

Without another word, Hinata took her hand and squeezed. "I'm sure that if he was here, he would have loved Shiro with all of his heart." Just that was enough to make Temari's face bloom. Tears ran down from her face, but she looked beautiful with that shaky smile.

"Yeah. The kid looks just like him after all."

Hinata smiled. No more questions needed to be asked. It didn't matter who the father was. It didn't matter about the past. All that mattered was that little Shiro was loved and would always be loved.

The door suddenly flew open and a brown haired man stomped in. "Temari! Why the fuck didn't you guys call me earlier?"

Temari just snorted as she swatted the man away. "Jesus, Kankurou, I'm not dying. I just had to give birth. That's it. No biggie."

"No biggie? This is my nephew! And Gaara said there was blood! How the hell is this no biggie?" The man roared. He finally noticed Hinata and then cleared his throat before giving a flirty smile. "You must be the next door neighbor. If I had known, I definitely would have greeted you at your door myself."

"Kankurou, she's not interested in big unrefined gorillas like you. She's already seen you yelling and being a total chick. Can tell yah that she's not interested." Temari deadpanned from her bed.

Kankurou rolled his eyes, but gave Hinata a little wink. She chuckled nervously. "In all honesty though, thanks for being there. Gaara told me everything. Thanks for looking out for my family."

He turned to Temari. "So, what's the name of the little butthole?"

"He's not a butthole," Temari scowled, "his name is Shiro and he's much cuter than you ever were."

Hinata laughed at their friendly bickering. It was so different from her own family, but it was nice. It was comforting and warm.

She watched as Gaara wordlessly walked into the room and immediately her smile faded. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

"Something's wrong with Shiro."


	6. Chapter 5

The silence of the dark room was slowly eating at her. She did not know what time it was, nor did she particularly care. Did it really matter what time it was? No matter where she looked, no matter what time the clock might be showing, it was dark and that was all that currently mattered.

Nothing else. Not Naruto. Not her family's constant calls. Not Sakura's attempt to reconnect. It was just dark.

Hinata opened her eyes. It was the darkness that greeted her, just like she thought it would. She silently cursed when just the faintest of moonlight finally escaped from behind the clouds, lifting the veil of darkness from her room. Without the darkness, she could finally see the emptiness that had invaded her room and her heart…and her life.

It hurt. It hurt so badly that she couldn't breathe sometimes. Tears were escaping, unseen in the darkness, but the warmth running down her face reminded her it was all real. She wondered if he also cried at night. "Naruto," she gasped out hoarsely. It hurt to say his name because it always made her see him. His blonde hair. His whiskers. The way that he looked at her. His boyish grin. It hurt.

Just his name made everything come flooding back. The pain. The memories. The lies.

The low hum of her phone broke through the silence and her thoughts. _I need you._

Oh god. She couldn't do it. Hinata knew she was clenching her jaw too tightly. It would hurt in the morning, definitely, but right now, it was her heart that was hurting. It was her heart that was going to explode any minute.

She hated him. How could he? She trusted him. How could he have lied to her? Why? Why was she so stupid to not have seen it? Why couldn't she hate him and just forget him?

She was so tired. She just wanted to walk away. She just wanted to erase him.

She just wanted to forget. She closed her eyes, wishing for sleep to finally take her away.

But the ringing of her doorbell would not let her. Hinata quickly wiped away her tears before she pulled on her bathrobe. "Who is it?" she called out even as she looked through the window. The sight of red hair greeted her and she pulled the door open.

"Gaara? Is everything ok?" He shook his head. "I'm sorry to barge in so late. I was just wondering if you had any honey. It's late and I don't want Shiro to wake up while I run to the store."

"I think I might have some. Please, come in." He meekly walked in and Hinata could feel her cheeks redden. "Sorry that it's so messy. I've been redecorating. Just trying something new, you know?"

He nodded slowly. "Change is good." And that was it. Hinata bit her lip. He still did not talk very much. "How's baby Shiro?" she asked, sincerely interested. "It's already been a few weeks since both Shiro and Temari have been released, right?"

Gaara paused, as though seriously in thought. "Shiro is good. He sleeps a lot, but even when he is awake, he is very quiet." He paused again before he looked Hinata straight in the eye, his green eyes warming slightly. "I'm secretly glad that he's not as energetic as Temari. That would have been very tiring."

Hinata couldn't help but laugh. She could only imagine Gaara's exhausted face when he dealt with a crying child. "Maybe he took after his father?"

He looked a bit thoughtful before he answered truthfully, "I don't know. I never got to meet the guy. Temari wouldn't tell me either."

"Ah…is that so?" Gaara nodded. "I am still thankful for you being there. It was…definitely rough."

HInata could only shake her head in small protest as she recollected what had happened. It had been so scary when Gaara had rushed in to tell them that something was wrong with Shiro. Temari had screamed and tried to rush out of bed. Kankurou had cursed. And Gaara had just stood there frozen, that look of fear on his face.

Shiro had had a seizure. They didn't know what had triggered it, but the birth had been complicated. There was a series of possibilities and all they could do was wait. Wait and hope that Shiro would be strong while they secretly worried.

But he slowly proved to them that he was strong. Even though his small 7 ounce body was frail, his heart was strong and he had been ok.

Hinata closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Honey. Focus on the honey. "Here. You can keep the rest."

He thanked her and when he moved to grab the honey, their fingertips brushed just slightly. Hinata noticed him falter just a little before he quickly pulled away as though burned.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Hinata blinked. Was he blushing? Scowling? The memory of holding his hand tightly suddenly hit her and she blushed red. "I-it's ok! Really!" She squeaked.

He just nodded quickly, as though eager to leave the awkward situation and hurriedly walked to the door. "Then, sorry to bother you." He muttered gruffly and took a step to go before he stopped himself. He turned, and Hinata felt her breath still in her throat at his piercing gaze. What was that emotion in his eye?

"Hinata…feel free to come visit Shiro." He said quietly. "I'm sure he would like you a lot." Without another word, he turned and left.

Hinata felt her cheeks burn as she closed the door and got into bed once again. For once, it was a sea of deep red and green seafoam that filled her dreams.

XOXOXOXOX

Hinata frowned as she weighed the choices in front of her. She could have the rather plain Cheerios or she could relish the delicious taste of the sugary Lucky Charms as they slid down her throat. It was a tough decision.

"I've been eating lots of sweets recently though," she muttered to herself as she slowly placed the red Lucky Charms box down. "But then again, I haven't been eating as much ice cream. So it could just replace that…"

She looked down at her cart. There were vegetables and fruits and meats. More healthy food than sugary sweets. Lucky Charms it was.

She had only placed the box in her cart and turned away when she heard someone call her name. "Hinata?" She paused for a second before she kept walking. She didn't recognize the voice as one of her friends. Also, she was at a supermarket and Hinata was a rather common name.

"Hinata?" The voice sounded a little closer and somehow, a bit more familiar. From where though? A faint touch startled her out of her thoughts and Hinata gasped lightly as she almost jumped from the surprise. "You're…Hinata Hyuuga, right?" She didn't recognize the pale blonde woman in front of her, but suddenly, it felt like everything inside her was screaming. Danger. Fear. It thrashed inside her.

Hinata swallowed deeply before she nodded. "Y-yes. Can I help you with something?" The woman in front of her smiled sadly. "You don't recognize my voice? But then again, we've never met face to face."

She could feel her heart drop to the pits of her stomach. She knew this girl. This voice.

"You are…Shion, right?" She felt like throwing up. Her palms were sweaty. Her gaze was unfocused. She wanted to faint, but she couldn't. She had to be strong.

Shion nodded. "I saw you, but I wasn't sure if it was you. I recognized you from some photos on his phone." It was as though her throat had turned into sandpaper. Hinata could feel anger and hatred bubbling up, even though she tried hard to suppress it. She hated that Shion looked so confident and beautiful while she was nearly suffering from a meltdown from just talking.

Again, she swallowed, trying to bring some moisture back into her mouth. "Is that so?" She cursed at herself internally for sounding so lame. Shion responded with just silence.

Hinata bit her tongue to try and not tremble from the nerves. The woman Naruto had cheated on her with was in front of her, staring at her like she was some weak timid freak. She would not allow herself to seem weak.

"I met up with him again." HInata's heart nearly stopped at that phrase, but she mustered a weak smile. "Oh, really?"

Shion nodded, not bothering to look away. She stared Hinata straight in the eyes, unapologetic and unafraid. "I'm meeting him later again, actually. For dinner. And a movie."

Ah. So that was why she had called her out. Because she had won. She had Naruto.

"I-I see." She wanted to run. She wanted to pull at Shion's perfect hair and scream. Why? Why did she have to see her? "I-if you're worried that I will try and contact him again, don't worry." Hinata's grip on her cart handle tightened. She would not be afraid. She was a Hyuuga.

"I…I will never go back to him," she said as stern as she could. She could see something flicker in Shion's purple eyes, but it was only there for a quick moment before it was gone.

Shion smirked and raised a brow. "We'll see about that," she said a bit bitterly.

Hinata drew her face into a blank mask. She would not show weakness. She was a Hyuuga. She was strong.

"I still have some errands to run, so I'll head out first," Hinata stated quietly. She hoped it didn't seem like she was eager to run away, but she could already tell that she was going to start crying. It was too much. "I hope you will be happy with him."

She didn't wait for a response before she turned and walked away. Shion didn't stop her.

Breathe in, breathe out. She could feel herself getting lightheaded and numb. Was she going to faint? She hoped not. She wouldn't be weak. She would definitely not show any weakness in front of Shion.

It was like her mind suddenly turned to autopilot, and for that, she was glad. She paid, got into her car, and then, she just sat there, her hands on the steering wheel.

She wasn't shaking anymore. Was she even breathing? Breathe in, breathe out.

"Oh my god," she whispered hoarsely as heat flooded her eyes. It hurt. It hurt so much. Hot tears rolled down her face, even as she angrily wiped them away.

If only she was stronger. If only she could just forget him. She hated herself. Why was she so weak? Why couldn't she just move on? She didn't want to go back and now, Shion was with him. All the more reason to move on and never look back, right? Right?

Hinata groaned when she felt the light vibration of her phone in her pocket. She didn't want to deal with anything today. She just wanted to sleep.

Still, she pulled out her phone to check. Neji.

"Hello," she mumbled softly, trying her best to withhold her sniffles.

"…I'm going to kill him." Hinata closed her eyes. She definitely did not want to deal with this today. "Nii-san, it's over. I don't care anymore," she lied. "Can you please just not remind me? Please?"

Silence. "I'm coming over." Click. Hinata sighed as she started her car. A little part of her felt happy that he cared so much. Neji was a busy man, and for him to take time to come comfort her, it meant a lot.

Hinata looked thoughtfully at her reflection in the mirror. She had never seen Neji comfort anyone before. He was always tough and stern, not loving and gentle. It would be quite interesting.

Or it would be disastrous. A little smile found itself on her lips as she drove home. She didn't see his car parked nearby, so he probably wasn't there yet.

She had only gotten to her door when once again, she heard her name being called out, this time in a low, quiet voice. "Hinata."

She turned, groceries in hand, to find Gaara walking towards her, a bundle in his arms. Peeking from the bundle was a set of large, warm brown eyes and messy brown hair.

She looked at Gaara questionably, who turned his gaze away. "Baby Shiro wanted to say hello," he whispered with a faint smile on his lips. "He's gotten bored of just staying inside the house all the time."

Hinata could feel uncertainty bubbling inside her. She wasn't very good with babies, despite all of the other girls always claiming that she would be a perfect wife and mother. She didn't remember even holding one.

Sensing her hesitance, Gaara added, "You don't have to hold him. He just wanted to meet you. You were there when he was born and he never got to say hello."

Quickly shaking her head, Hinata placed the bags by her door. "I-I don't have much experience, but I would love to hold him," she bit her lip, "…if that would be ok with you, of course."

It was such an odd feeling. In her hands was such a small fragile being, incapable of anything besides existing and yet…Hinata could feel her heart slightly swell as she smiled down on the doe eyed baby in her arms.

"Hi Shiro," she whispered, a blush coloring her face when she realized she was practically cooing, "H-hi." He gazed at her, those large brown eyes of his just absorbing everything in. So this was what love could become. In her arms, she was holding proof of two people's love and affection towards one another. It felt so warm.

"H-hi, Shiro," she cooed again, choking up just a little bit, "hello." She hadn't even realized how amazing this would have felt. She hadn't even considered how it would feel to maybe one day be a mother and hold her own child in her arms. Her love had already been shattered. She would never be able to be the mother of a blue-eyed child now, would she? She would never be able to hold in her arms the child of her and Naruto's love. The idea hurt and stung at her throat.

"Shirooooo…" She couldn't help but give out a shaky laugh when the baby smiled and cooed happily at her. "L-look, Gaara! He knows his name!" Again, there was that weird look in his eyes, that one look that made her feel so odd, the one she couldn't distinguish.

"See? I told you that he would want to meet you," he just replied softly as he stroked Shiro's hair lovingly. "He's amazing, isn't he? He's only a few months old, and yet…whenever I look at him, I just can't help but think that he is what they mean when they talk about all that love and stuff."

"Y-yes." Shiro was a symbol of love. Of hopes and dreams. Of a bright future that was still waiting to unfold. Hinata couldn't help but feel her heart bloom. It was so odd that she was having this moment with Gaara, but at the same time, it wasn't odd. It felt comforting. It felt right because they were just two quiet, awkward people who didn't know much.

Shiro was still teaching them so much. Hinata laughed, feeling a bit silly. A baby was teaching her about love. A thought came to her mind, something that she had forgotten to do.

"I have something for him." As gently as she could, she placed Shiro back into Gaara's strong protective arms and dashed home, nearly forgetting her groceries in the process. In the corner of her closet, nearly forgotten was the whirlpool blanket that she had lovingly made with all her love. It wouldn't be wasted now.

Gaara turned a questioning gaze upon her and she beamed at him. "I made it long ago. With all my love." It rattled her that she was speaking so freely to him suddenly, but she didn't care. Her heart was pouring with love. Maybe it was just the heat of the moment, but she felt he wouldn't make fun of her. That he wouldn't think of her as weird. "I made it for someone that I loved a lot, but now, I want Shiro to have it. A-as proof. So he can always be surrounded by love."

Gaara nodded, his gaze piercing into hers. "Thank you." Just those words and it felt like he understood. Without further questions, it was as though he understood her heartache. "I'm sure Shiro will always love it."

Did he understand? Had he also had his heart broken? None of it really mattered. In the presence of Shiro, heartache didn't matter. There was only love and a bright future waiting to unfold.

Hinata could feel that the future would be bright when Gaara finally smiled at her, not a forced awkward pained smile, but a gentle one that he had allowed to escape from his heart.

The future would be ok. Definitely.


	7. Chapter 6

Hinata suppressed another sigh as she tried not to look at her cousin and younger sister sitting in front of her. The air was tense and quiet, which was surprising, given Hanabi's blunt nature. She closed her eyes, trying not to let the atmosphere get to her. It made her feel so tired and old, so much more than she actually was.

"You're only 24. Most people nowadays don't settle down until they're 28? You have time." Leave it to Neji to make a break up sound so business like. Hanabi scoffed as she rolled her pretty light lilac eyes. "Neji, please, let's not treat this like it is some matchmaking service and just go skin the bastard already."

Neji took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Hinata could tell that he was trying as hard as he could to be understanding and calm. It had always been his habit whenever he was stressed and she felt shame nibbling at her insides. She was always inconveniencing these two….

"As much as I would like to, Hanabi, I'd like to remind you that you are the heiress to the Hyuuga Company. Anyways, if Hinata hadn't tried to stop me, I would have already done it." Neji's own lilac eyes flashed angrily. Hinata couldn't help but think that they were more white than hers and Hanabi's. His were similar to eggshells, with just that light hint of lilac. Or was it lavender? She wasn't sure.

The sigh that she was trying so hard to suppress escaped and she mentally scolded herself. "I'm glad that you two care enough to visit," she began tiredly, "but I don't really want to talk about it. It's over. Done."

Again, Hanabi scoffed. "We're not going to just drop this, Hinata. That douchebag is so lucky that Neji and I were overseas making business deals or else we would have made his life a living hell. And I still can do that, you know? Just say the word and I'll get him fired from whatever job he's doing." She flipped her hair angrily. "I mean, honestly, who the fuck does that? Trying to juggle two girls at once? Who the hell does he think he is?" Hinata took her sister's hand, silencing her from her ramblings.

"Hanabi," Hinata said sadly, "I'd rather not think about that right now. I…I just want it to end. I just want to move on now, like he has." She could see Neji straighten up just a bit and Hanabi's eyes widen.

"What do you mean, like he has?" Neji demanded. Oops. Hinata could feel another wrinkle start to form and silently bid her youth goodbye in her mind.

"He's with Shion now, from what she told me at the grocery store," she explained, completely exhausted. She really did feel like all her energy had been drained. "I'm happy for them," she lied. "They're over it and I would just like to be done with it too."

Hanabi's mouth dropped. "You ran into her at the supermarket? Randomly? Jesus, Hinata, not to be rude, but you have horrible luck," she exclaimed. "Do you know how many supermarkets there are in this city? And you ran into the slut he cheated on you with?!"

"She's not a slut…she also didn't know that he was playing games with both of us." She wanted to be sorry for the other girl, but knowing that they had ended up together, she couldn't feel any genuine feelings resonating inside her. Just anger. Bitterness. Jealousy? She didn't want to face it. It was done. Gone. Who cared, right?

Hanabi shook her head, the shock and anger disappearing from her face. There was only sadness when she gave Hinata's hand a light squeeze. "You have always been like this," she muttered. "You know that Neji and I are not good at comforting people so you always close yourself off and hide things, like everything is perfectly ok. But I know that they're not." Her eyes flashed with deep emotion and Hinata could feel her stomach churn. "Hinata, you were with this guy for over 4 years. You were going to get MARRIED." Hinata could feel herself inwardly cringe at that word.

Hanabi sent her an apologetic look, but she didn't stop. "You can act like you are over it, but we know you better than that. You internalize it and then just hurt yourself. I…I am just worried about you."

HInata could feel her lips start quivering. Neji took her other hand and just nodded, solemnly. "Hinata, we are here for you."

A little sniffle escaped her mouth and Hinata quickly turned away so they wouldn't see the tears running down her face. It was embarrassing.

"T-thank you," she stammered as she wiped her tears away. Hanabi looked down, unsure, but Neji held his gaze, firm and yet gentle at the same time. He gave the briefest of smiles and Hinata could feel her heart breaking. "T-thank you. I'm really happy that you two are here." And she meant it. She had missed them, even though she had tried to avoid being so vulnerable in front of them.

"It is ok to not always be strong," Neji's deep voice rumbled, "we are just human."

"Except him," Hanabi added in bitterly, "He's a sick bastard….He had us all fooled. Like puppets in his hands."

"H-how did you guys even find out by the way? I didn't tell you…" "We met Shino when we were traveling to Suna for business. He told us." Neji explained.

"E-eh? Shino was in Suna?" Neji nodded. "He didn't explain much. He thought we would want to hear it from you." So that was where Shino had gone to…It was so odd. Even so far away, Shino was looking out for her. She was truly lucky for everyone in her life.

"Yeah…and to think, Father had finally started to approve of him." Hinata wanted to scream inside. Hanabi's good trait was her dedication and focus, but right now, it was honestly a pain in the butt. More specifically, Hinata's butt. Hanabi raised a brow when she noticed Hinata's displeased expression.

"The man has a right to know. He might not have shown it, but that man was excited for your wedding."

"That's what I don't understand," Neji interrupted, causing both girls to turn to him. "Your dad gave him such a hard time and yet, Naruto endured for all those years. He kept at it until the man accepted him. So why would he throw it all away?" Neji shrugged. "It just doesn't make sense."

"Has that jerk ever made sense?" Hinata couldn't help but internally agree to Hanabi's point. Naruto had long been full of surprises and contradictions. It was one of those small things that she had loved about him, and yet…

"I'm not trying to justify his actions. What he did was wrong. But still…we will never know what goes on in that brain of his." _Unless I talk to him._ Hinata bit her lip. How long had it been since she last heard his voice? She didn't want to remember. It was all a haze, something she was glad for.

"I think that while confronting the man and receiving answers seems like a noble decision," Hanabi stated sarcastically, "it's rather pointless. I'd rather you not ever talk to him. Ever."

Hinata gave a small sad smile. "I've already blocked him…I haven't seen or heard from him since that night," she answered truthfully. Hanabi beamed. "Good. He doesn't deserve your forgiveness, Hinata. Not after what he put you through."

But in the deep recesses of her heart, Hinata could feel it squirming: the questions that still plagued at her every night. The questions that gnawed at her insecurities. The lies that she tried to forget that still somehow played like a music box in her head, again and again.

As though he could read her thoughts, Neji's smooth voice cut into the drumming of her heart: "Only time will let us change and forget. Until then, it is ok to be hurt."

Hanabi raised a brow. "Geez Neji. This isn't a poetry class." Hinata watched her cousin take in that deep breath again and muffled a giggle. The tense mood temporarily broken, Hanabi stretched and gave an exaggerated yawn. "Now, who wants to go get something to eat? I'm starving." Hinata shook her head.

"I promised my neighbor that I would be over to help her babysit," Hinata confessed, "Maybe another time." Hanabi nodded and motioned to Neji. "Neji, we're going to get some yakiniku," she declared. "You're paying." Same old Hanabi. Hinata watched her tired cousin massage his temples before he tried to catch up to the Hyuuga heiress. She couldn't help but feel some pity for him and laughed when he mockingly rolled his eyes. "I'll see you later, Hinata," he called out on his way out the door. He paused for a moment and turned back to her.

"Call me if you ever need anything." Hinata nodded and waved as he shut the door behind him. Once again, her apartment was thrown back into silence, but now, it didn't feel as cold. She smiled faintly. Healing would come slowly, just like Neji said. Nothing wrong with being hurt. It was evidence that for a period of time, their love had been real. It was proof that in those years, she had truly loved him with all her heart. It was just a tragedy that it hadn't ended happily.

She turned to look at her newly decorated apartment, which was still a little bare. One day, her house would have a new story to tell, hopefully.

XOXOXOXO

When Temari first asked her for help, Hinata had jumped at the chance. She couldn't help but love the little infant. His brown hair had slowly darkened to a very dark shade, almost reminiscent of black. She had laughed when Temari had sadly but lovingly complained that Shiro looked nothing like her.

Maybe he would also look like his father when he grew up? The question had threatened to bubble out of her mouth, but she had wisely held her tongue. It was a touchy topic. Beneath that strong and laughing façade of hers, Hinata wondered what secrets the other woman held in her heart. She was probably hurting, just like she was.

But enough of that. Hinata shook her head to clear her thoughts as she tried to wrap her head around the current situation.

She was supposed to be on babysitting duty, so why was she currently out shopping with Gaara?

"He's hogging up my precious bonding time with my baby," she could distinctly recall the blonde woman complaining before the door was shut in her face, "just take him away before my baby ends up thinking that he's the daddy!"

That was how she had found herself face to face with a rather irritated looking Gaara, who could only shrug helplessly at the situation. If this was some cheesy anime, there would be a huge sweat drop sliding down her face.

He cleared his throat, prompting her out of her thoughts, once again. She noticed that he had his hands stuffed in his pockets, which she had come to realize was a nervous habit of his. "Y-yes?"

"Did you have something to eat yet?" he asked gruffly. "It's already dinner time." Hinata paused. Was that his way of saying he was hungry? She looked at him thoughtfully. "I haven't had dinner yet. What…what would you like to eat?"

He glanced at her before looking away quickly. She couldn't help but think that he looked a little shy. It was somehow cute, and endearing. She mentally scolded herself. "I like…fried gizzards. And tongue." He glanced at her again, as though expecting her to protest.

"Um, I'm not quite sure if there's a restaurant here who serves that," Hinata admitted sheepishly. "Ah." Was he disappointed? She wasn't too sure. He seemed really tense. Maybe he just didn't feel comfortable around her anymore?

"W-why don't we go shopping for some?" she suggested. "We can buy some and then just make it at home!" He was silent for a few moments more before he nodded his head. "I'd like that," he answered a bit slowly. "If you don't mind…"

She shook her head and smiled. "Let's buy something for Temari and Kankurou too. That way, they won't feel too left out." She felt her heart flutter a little bit when he gave a small smile, even though it wasn't particularly at her.

"I'd never buy something for those two. Not when one just kicked me out of the house and the other constantly begs me for favors." …Was that a joke? Hinata wasn't sure whether to laugh or not, but she could feel the sides of her mouth slowly slide up a bit.

She couldn't help but feel just a little happy that he was able to joke with her now. They had been so awkward when they first met, and while there was still silent pauses between them, they somehow felt a little…closer? Maybe she was just thinking too much, but she couldn't help but secretly wish that was true. There was just something about him. Something she couldn't quite put her finger on…

She felt herself blush a little bit when he grabbed the basket from her hands. "I'll carry it. You can put in whatever you want in here." She nodded wordlessly as she placed in some sweet potatoes. She didn't miss the way his left eye twitched just the slightest in disdain and stifled a laugh. "I take it that you don't like sweet potatoes?"

"Not really," he admitted truthfully, "I'm not a big fan of sweets." "You're the complete opposite of me then. I love sweets." He narrowed his eyes at her mockingly. "Now you're going to tell me you hate eggplants too?" Hinata laughed. "No, I'm afraid not. I like them."

He smiled, that small little smile that made his face just a little warmer and Hinata could feel her pulse slightly begin to rise. He truly was handsome when he smiled. She slightly hoped that he would smile more, but his smiles never lasted more than a few seconds.

But that was one thing she was beginning to like about him. She hesitated mid-stepped. Liked about him? As a friend of course. Just a friend. She nodded to herself as she absentmindedly walked after him.

He hadn't seem so tall when they had talked together in the past, but now, walking after him, watching his receding form, Hinata felt a little small. He had a long stride and in the crowded supermarket, it felt so odd watching him disappear into the bustling crowd. She felt a pang of emotion strike her heart. She didn't want to be left behind.

Her breath caught in her throat when he stopped suddenly and turned to look back at her. The way his seafoam green eyes seemed to glisten and the way his lips lifted a little bit as he observed her so far away sent butterflies exploding in her stomach.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I was walking too fast." Framed by that dark eyeliner, his eyes seemed to sparkle with that odd emotion. As though the butterflies in her stomach hadn't been enough, they seemed to melt into a deep whirlpool when he took her smaller hand in his.

"This way, you won't get left behind." Hinata could only nod. When had her throat gotten so dry? She couldn't quite see his face now, but was he as flustered as she was? She bit her lip. She hoped so. Taking a few quick steps, she peeked at him shyly. If he was uncomfortable, he didn't show it, but his cheeks were just the slightest tinge of pink.

"What do you like to eat?" Maybe it was because they were holding hands, but the low rumbling of his voice sent a faint tingle down her spine. "I like…" She smiled, already knowing his reaction. "Cinnamon buns and soft bean jam."

From the corner of her eye, she could see him crinkle his nose just the slightest in disdain. "That's not real food."

"It's real food, Gaara." "No, it's not." "Yes, it is." She laughed. They were bickering like an old couple, weren't they? It was so odd that she didn't care what the other shoppers thought as she and Gaara held hands, bickering quietly about sweets being considered real food down the canned food aisle. It felt…nice. Comfortable. Natural.

She couldn't speak for him, but judging on the way he didn't let go, even squeezing her hand slightly when someone bumped into her, maybe he felt the same.

He looked down at her and she beamed up at him. He held a blank face for a second before it softened to that face that he so often had whenever he held Shiro. "What are you so happy about?" His voice held no menace and she could see the corners of his lips tilting up. What was she honestly so happy about? She didn't know. She just hadn't felt like this in so long.

"I think we have enough. Should we go check out?" He peered into their basket, which was now filled with many vegetables and items. "Not yet. There's something else we have to grab."

She nodded, following along silently as he led her to the bakery section. When he grabbed box of cinnamon buns, she looked at him, slightly confused. He turned away. "As thanks for coming shopping with me today. And for Temari and Kankurou too."

"Do they like cinnamon buns too?" "…Yes."

She felt her cheeks burn and glanced down at her shoes. Oh. That was kind of sweet.

"Thank you." She whispered. If he heard, he didn't say anything. But did he really need to? They were two quiet people. Did words really need to be shared?

"Hinata?" Her head snapped up at the voice. She knew that voice. The last time she heard it, it had sounded so painful and hurt. No. It couldn't be.

"Hinata?" It was Gaara's low rumble of a voice that scared her. No. No. Not now. In the depth of his seafoam eyes, she could see confusion as well as surprise. She didn't want to turn and look.

But she knew she had to. All the happiness drained from her, fear instead flooding into every system, every fiber of her body. She gripped Gaara's hand tighter and turned.

Shocked blue eyes stared into hers, invading her soul like they did so long ago. He looked just like she remembered. Those whiskers, the same golden blonde hair.

"N-Naruto. Hello."


	8. Chapter 7

Author's note: Hello! I just wanted to thank everyone for your continued support! Reading your reviews and messages of encouragement always brings a smile to my face.

For those that continually review, it really does mean a lot to me. There have been a few questions asked, such as, WHO IS THE FATHER?! You'll just have to embark on this journey of life with the rest of us to find out.

For those who have been cheated on, just know that you are not alone. We can all emerge from this, stronger and better than before.

Now, onwards!

XOXOXOXO

It was like the room was spinning. Or was it melting? All the colors of that room had seemed to melt into one another, creating a mess of color with no distinguishable lines.

But in that blur of colors that seemed to not make sense, there he was, standing before her, as clear and vibrant as ever with those eyes of his. Those big blue eyes that were currently staring into her own, so full of hurt and betrayal.

"What are you doing?" His voice was strained, even though he tried so hard to keep the thick emotion out of his voice. Hinata could tell that he was angry, but why? Because she had ignored his calls?

She couldn't help but feel a bit angry herself. Who was he to talk to her like that? She hadn't done anything to him. She didn't want anything to do with him. Had she noticed him first, she would have walked away, not call him out for this awkward confrontation.

Hinata cursed her luck. What was up with her and these unwanted confrontations in supermarkets?

"I-I am shopping with my…friend," she replied as strongly as possible. She felt ashamed when she heard her voice waver. She just wanted to be able to get through this. To show to him that she was over him, or at least trying to. She didn't want to be weak anymore.

Her palms were already beginning to get sweaty and she could feel herself tremble. The annoying habit of wringing her hands together began to show, but luckily, there was one thing to stop it: Gaara's own hand that was still holding on tightly to her own.

She peered up at him, taking in his pale skin and his fiery blood red hair and the dark eyeliner that framed his eyes. He looked back at her, surprise and confusion written on his face.

Honestly, she wanted to appear strong. She really did. But she was never the best at hiding her emotions, something her father had long called her out for. Instead, she gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile, although a bit shaky.

"Gaara, this is Naruto. He is…" What was he? What was he to her now? A friend? An acquaintance? A stranger? She wasn't sure.

She hadn't even finished when Gaara answered, "I know." His eyes weren't on her anymore. Instead, they were locked onto Naruto's angry ones.

Hinata felt her mouth drop open in surprise. This was unexpected. The air was tense, both men seemingly locked in a secret battle.

Betrayed blue orbs stared into confused, yet steely seafoam eyes. "Just friends? Friends who hold hands together in public?" She had never heard him sound like that before. So bitter, his tone mocking them harshly. She felt uneasy.

She loosened her grip on Gaara's hand, ready to pull away, but his hold on her tightened, not letting her go. "Does it matter to you?" Gaara asked coolly, not backing down.

"Yes. It does. Because she is-" "Stop!" What was going on? What was this? Both men turned to her, and she felt herself shrink under the gaze of those eyes.

Hinata clenched her fists by her side. She needed to be strong, but she was so tired of this. She didn't care if it seemed like she was running away. She didn't care if she seemed pathetic for being unable to move on when clearly Naruto had thrown away every promise they had made together.

"Gaara, let's go." She turned to leave, but he grabbed her free hand, the jolt of electricity from his touch burning her. "Hinata," he pleaded. She didn't have to turn to him to know what expression was on his face. It haunted her every night when she closed her eyes.

"Please let go of me," she whispered, "this is wrong." "I don't know what you're talking about, but please, Hinata, just listen!"

"Let go of me!" It happened so quickly. There was a flash of red and suddenly, she found herself faced to Gaara's back, the man acting as a physical barrier between her and Naruto. She looked down at her hand that Naruto had grabbed. It still tingled.

"Even though you are my friend," she heard Gaara's voice rumble coldly, "I think it is best if you leave. Now." She couldn't quite imagine his face, but it made her shiver.

"This isn't your business!" Oh god. Why was this happening now of all places? Hinata wanted to scream. They were already attracting enough attention with this tense confrontation, so would it honestly change anything if she did scream?

"What would Shion say if she saw you like this?" It came out more bitterly than she intended, but the look of guilt and sadness that crossed his face somehow made it worth it.

"Hinata. Please. Just give me one moment of your time. I just want to make things right," he begged. She had never been able to resist him in the past. She had always accepted him into her arms, had held him tight each time. She had wiped away tears from his eyes and had kissed his forehead so lovingly, to assure him that she loved him, that it would all be ok. Even now, just looking at his pained expression, she wanted to wipe it off his face. But she wasn't the same Hinata anymore, just as he wasn't the same Naruto who had laughed with her and promised her that he would always love her.

No, she was just a broken woman now and he was just someone that she had loved so deeply in the past. He was just another stranger, another one of the faceless people that had just happened to be in the same supermarket at the same time.

He was no longer that shiny-eyed boy who had held her hands so tightly when they first danced together. He was no longer that boy who had been so nervous the first time they kissed that he had ended up kissing her nose. He wasn't the Naruto that she had loved so deeply.

He was just some stranger, an empty shadow, that happened to look like the man she had loved for all those years.

Hinata clenched her fists, turning her face away. "I hope that you'll be happy with Shion." There. That was all she was going to say. No more. There was nothing between them now that she had wished him good luck, right? With this, she had severed their ties, right?

With this, the red string that she had wrapped so tightly around the two of them had been cut, right?

"What are you saying? Hinata, i don't want Shion! I'm not with Shion! Really, I-!"

"I hate to break the mood, but this really isn't the place for this." Hinata bowed her head, ashamed. This really wasn't the place and time for this.

She turned to the speaker, mouth dropping slightly in surprise to find Sasuke, who was currently holding a jar of sweet jam in his hand.

Was everyone just going to appear at every supermarket that she went to?

Sasuke nodded at her politely before turning to Gaara. His eyes flashed slightly in recognition before they narrowed, just in the slightest.

"Gaara." "Sasuke." Sasuke knew Gaara too? Was the world really so small and sadistic?

"It's been a while. Turns out that you are doing well." Hinata felt her brows furrow at his tone. Why was he speaking so coldly? Did they not have a good relationship? The questions just kept coming, burying her deeper and deeper in the darkness.

"Same to you." The air was so tense, it felt she like was suffocating. She wanted to just escape.

She tugged on Gaara's shirt, relieved when he turned around. "Let's go," she pleaded silently. "It's getting late."

He nodded and then to her surprise, took her hand that had tugged on his shirt. She could feel Sasuke's intense stare and hear Naruto growl in displeasure, but that didn't stop her heart from skipping a beat.

Sparing a glance back at the men, Gaara glared just slightly, as though challenging the two to protest.

"Hinata." Hinata held her breath. Of course. Naruto and his never give up attitude. "Hinata. Please."

Gaara looked down at her, his eyes questioning her, asking her silently what she was going to do.

She bit her lip, looking from his eyes to Naruto's own heartbreakingly blue orbs before down at her feet.

"Goodbye, Sasuke. Naruto." She closed her eyes, walking away, but even with her eyes closed, in the darkness of her mind, she could see him, could see the way his heart was breaking, and knew she would never be able to erase it from her mind.

XOXOXOXO

"I'm sorry I had to put you through that." Hinata bit the insides of her cheek, ashamed to look at the man walking besides her. Although they had left Sasuke and Naruto behind, since leaving the store, the feeling had been tense, the friendliness that they had established destroyed.

Hinata rubbed her hands together nervously, adjusting the bags in her hand. Although he had taken the heavier load, the plastic bags still seemed to cut into her palm of her hands. Her hands were already so sweaty and she tried to discreetly wipe them on her shirt.

"Gaara?" She felt her heart sink as he kept walking, getting further and further away from her. Was he disgusted with her now? "Gaara?"

He paused, turning to her, his eyes widening just a fraction before he walked back. "I was lost in thought. I didn't even realize you had stopped."

Hinata breathed a sigh in relief. So he wasn't mad at her. Good. Great. She didn't know what she would do otherwise.

"Gaara," she tried again. Why was her throat getting so dry? Why was he staring at her in that way? Hinata could feel her heart pounding, and looked down. What was this odd feeling in her chest?

"I won't ask for what happened, if you are not comfortable talking about it."

Hinata blinked in surprise before looked at him. Really look at him. His face was passive, displaying nothing, expecting nothing. It was as though he was just accepting her as she was right then: weak, quiet Hinata.

The cold night air made her shiver slightly, even though she was feeling so warm inside. "H-how do you know Naruto?"

Something in his eyes flashed just slightly, but he didn't say anything. Rather, he pointed to a nearby bench and motioned for her to follow.

Curiously, she did, setting down the bags as she waited. He was silent for a moment more before he spoke. "Naruto was my first friend."

It was as though her heart dropped to the deepest pit of her stomach. Hinata could feel her mouth dropping open in surprise and horror. Was the world really so small? Was the world so sadistic as to keep her trapped in Naruto's world forever?

"When I was younger...I was a...I had a troubled childhood. My mom died giving birth to me. Temari and Kankurou were sent to live with my grandma. It was just me and my dad." He stopped, his eyes glazing over slightly. Hinata could feel a deep knot form in her throat, not allowing her to say anything. It hardly allowed her to breathe. She felt so lightheaded.

"He was a bit of an alcoholic. I couldn't stand being at home with him. After all the things that he said and did...I was so weak. I hated him and decided that I hated the world too. I took the cowardly way out and became a bully. After all, if my own dad couldn't love me, then what were the chances of anyone out there loving me for who i am, right? I only needed to just love myself and I would be fine."

He took a deep breath. "But I was wrong. I hurt a lot of people. I fought everyone that I could and I would always win. It was finally when I lost to him that I realized that all along, I had just been as disgusting as my dad, who was so deprived of love. Naruto was the one who beat some common sense into my head...and the first person who was willing to be my friend. But then, I moved to Suna to live with my grandma and I never saw him again, until a few months ago."

It wasn't the first time that she had seen him be so vulnerable, but the way he looked right now didn't compare at all to when she saw him being so scared when Temari was giving birth to Shiro. He just looked young. Really young. But at the same time, he looked like he had experienced so much that she couldn't even begin to guess. He was a paradox.

"I will admit that I've always looked up to him. I wanted to be strong and righteous like him. But." He drifted off and stared at his shoes instead of the night sky. "I guess even time can change the best of people."

Hinata felt speechless. It was all too much to take in. Naruto and Gaara had known each other so long ago. Naruto had saved Gaara from making horrible mistakes. Gaara looked to Naruto as his first friend. And yet, at the grocery store, the feeling between the two was nothing like the reunion of two good friends. They were like bitter strangers. Because of her.

"He…" She didn't know how to start it off. "Naruto is a good person. He is optimistic, he never gives up. He is always there for those who need it." She couldn't help fiddling with the handles of the plastic bags; her hands were trembling.

What time was it now? She couldn't tell, but it was probably past eight. The city was already quiet, save for the occasional car that passed by. People were already getting ready for bed, to go about their day tomorrow. It was only him with her right now, in that place where time didn't seem to really matter.

She cleared her throat, but it was still dry. "He is lucky to have a friend like you." She directed a shaky smile towards him, clenching her hands at her side. She didn't want to be the reason for a drift in their friendship.

His voice was soft as he placed his larger hands over her clenched hands. "You don't have to force yourself." His hands were so warm. "It's ok. Even without you telling me, you don't have to force yourself to be strong. Just be Hinata."

Oh. The way he said it made her want to cry.

"Thank you…" To her surprise, he placed a bag of the sweet cinnamon buns on her lap. She peered at him, slightly surprised. Why was he giving it to her now?

Her heart nearly burst when he unwrapped one and took a bite for himself. The way he scowled, but still tried to finish the sweet cinnamon bun; it was all too endearing.

Laughter bubbled out of her mouth, before she could stop herself. "I thought you said that cinnamon buns weren't real food?"

Still scowling, he stuffed the last portion into his mouth. "It's not and never will be, but…" The ways his eyes sparkled seemed to take her breath away. "You like them."

It had been so long since she felt herself blush so hard. The tip of her ears down to the tip of her toes burned at his response. She was so tongue-tied, she didn't know what to say.

Luckily, he turned away and she could allow herself to breathe again.

"Should we go home? Temari and Shiro are probably waiting for us." Hinata nodded dumbly, before she realized what he had said. _Should we go home?_ Was she part of his home too?

The thought made her heart flutter. She didn't want to misunderstand or overthink.

With a smile, he stretched out his hand towards her, and tentatively, she took it. The way his warm hands held hers so protectively made her heart skip a beat.

There were many things that Hinata could never forget in her life. But she knew, as they walked quietly down the street, towards _home,_ she knew she would never be able to forget that moment, of holding his hand, and of the warmth that she felt settle into her heart.


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: There were much more flames this time, with some telling me to kill myself for supporting a crack pairing. C'mon guys, I don't know how old you guys are, but really? That's how some suicides start. This is just fanfiction. Don't like, don't read. If you want the original pairings, go read the manga or watch the anime.

To each their own. Only a few more chapters to go.

XOXOXO

It was one early morning when there came an unexpected knock on her door. Hinata answered, a bit surprised to find Temari, with Shiro bundled in her arms..

"Good morning! Wasn't disturbing anything, was I?" Hinata smiled and shook her head, moving out of the way to invite her neighbor in.

The tiny infant in her arms babbled excitedly, causing Temari to laugh. "Look, he's saying hi to his Auntie Hinata!" As if on cue, Shiro babbled some more, little bits of drool falling from his lips.

Hinata could feel her heart swell in pride, even though she knew it was just baby talk and he couldn't yet recognize her.

"He's only 5 months now, right?" Hinata asked as she reached to caress his face. "He's already so big! Much bigger than when he was first born, right, Shiro?"

As though surprised, he just stared at her, his eyes so wide and round. Hinata laughed. "He's adorable."

Chuckling, Temari moved towards the couch. "Oh yeah? Watch this."

Hinata watched curiously as she placed Shiro on the sofa in a sitting position. "Oh, is he already able to sit up now?"

Temari just grinned. "That's not it. Keep watching."

The two watched, one set of eyes excited and proud while the other confused and unsure. Shiro stared back at the two of them, as though confused before diverting his attention to his rather colorful socks. Hinata couldn't help but gasp when he fell forward, tugging on his socks. Temari held onto her arm, shaking her head when Hinata moved forward to help the infant up.

"Keep watching." Nervously, Hinata inched closer to the sofa, ready to scoop him up should he fall off.

They watched as Shiro struggled, still planted face first on the couch. Hearing him whimper, Hinata again inched closer. What exactly was Temari trying to do?

"Look!" Temari whispered excitedly. Hinata held her breath. Shiro whimpered again, craning his neck up to look for any help before he somehow...just rolled over, onto his back.

Hinata blinked as Temari gave out a cheer. "That's my boy! Good job, Shiro!" Was that it? Hinata smiled weakly. Temari was definitely now her new definition of a proud mother.

Still, that was a good thing. She felt a pang of envy at the scene before her, before she shook her head to clear her mind.

"Gaara babies him so much, I was so afraid that he'd be behind on crawling and sitting up," Temari confided in her. "The man spends so much time holding him, as though Shiro is the most fragile thing in the world. But he takes after his strong mom, I'll tell you that."

Nodding, Hinata observed silently; the thought of Gaara spoiling and babying Shiro made her feel a little warm inside. The quiet man definitely was very kind to those he loved.

He was very kind to her too, but...that wasn't because he was in love with her or anything. He was just kind. That was all. Her cheeks still burned a little bit at the thought.

Feeling Temari's gaze on her, Hinata snapped out of her thoughts. "Y-yes?"

"Speaking of Gaara," Temari asked as she absentmindedly played with Shiro, "did something happen between you two?"

Flashbacks of the confrontation at the supermarket quickly rushed to her mind. Hinata bit her lip, her heart heavy. She had been trying so hard to forget what had happened then, but so far, was unsuccessful. Not that the entire night had been terrible, no. Walking home with Gaara that night, hand in hand, she had been so happy. But perhaps...it had only been enjoyable for her.

Taking her silence for an answer, Temari continued. "So I take it that something did happen?"

"D-did Gaara say something?" Hinata dreaded to hear. Maybe he was disgusted with her after all. Disgusted with her for being so weak as to being unable to confront Naruto. Disgusted with her for having to shield her.

Temari shook her head, although a small smile stayed on her lip. "He doesn't have to. It's a mother's intuition." HInata felt her heart sink at the vague answer. "W-well...is he ok?"

"Hmm? Of course he's ok. Why wouldn't he be?" So much for having a mother's intuition. Hinata sighed, looking into Temari's strong unwavering eyes. Maybe, to Temari...Maybe, it would be ok to tell her. They were friends and two girls after all.

She found that she just didn't really know where to start.

Hinata took a deep breath, trying to calm her hands from fidgeting so much. Gaara's own large hands weren't there to stop them this time and she found her hands to be quite cold...and empty.

"W-well," she started quietly, "we ran into someone...that we both knew." Ok, good start. She took another deep breath as Temari waited patiently. Even Shiro was staring at her with those round eyes of his.

"And this was someone I didn't really want to see again. Ever. Because….B-because of our past together. But, this person was stubborn. And so, even though this person was Gaara's friend...I made things awkward between them."

Again, Temari gazed at her thoughtfully before she asked, "By chance, is this 'someone' named Naruto?"

Hinata nodded meekly. The blond girl sighed, muttering, "Well, I wasn't expecting that to happen."

"What was that?" "Nothing!" Temari pursed her lips together for a moment, before asking, "So I take it that whatever happened between you and Naruto ended rather...badly. And just recently?"

"It's been...eight months since then." Eight long months. Temari whistled. "Eight months...that's not very long." Her eyes narrowed. "You're not...trying to rebound with Gaara, are you?"

The thought made Hinata's skin crawl. Use him as a rebound? The thought had never even entered her mind, but perhaps...Maybe it looked like that to everyone? Was that why Sasuke and Naruto had looked at them both so disdainfully at the store?

"I would never-!" Temari laughed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just yanking your chain." She smiled again, knowingly. "I can tell."

What did that mean? Hinata wasn't so sure, but she could feel her heart skip just a little bit faster.

She looked down at Shiro, whose eyes were fluttering closed. So much time had passed. Shiro had been so small at the hospital and now, he looked so healthy, so plump. She laughed lightly when he suddenly jolted, his eyes widening in alarm before he settled down again.

He was honestly so cute. She hadn't realized how much she wanted to have a child one day until she had held him in her arms. And yet...maybe the realization came a bit too late.

The thought stung, but at the same time, looking at his peaceful looking face, Hinata felt her heart grow warm. She still had Shiro. He was hers, in an odd little way.

Temari cleared her throat, surprising her out of her thoughts. "Y-yes?"

Staring intently at her face, Temari asked, "Do you like Gaara?"

Hinata froze. The woman was looking expectedly for an answer, and although Hinata wanted to quickly deny it, something inside of her hesitated. Something whispered inside her, _Yes. Maybe._

But it couldn't be. Because she had loved Naruto so much and it had been nothing like this. There had been fireworks and sparks and losing her breath and it was nothing like her last experience with falling in love.

Oh, but Temari hadn't said anything about falling in love. She had merely asked if she liked him. Maybe only asking if she liked him as a friend.

One look at the blond's face and Hinata knew that wasn't where she was getting at. She opened her mouth to say no, to deny, but nothing came out. Instead, she looked like a goldfish, producing no sound.

Did she like Gaara romantically? Was he just a friend? But he was so much more, wasn't he? The thoughts started a whirlpool in her stomach. She was so confused.

Finally, Hinata sighed. "I...I am not ready to fall in love again. Or even love, for that matter." It was true. It was too soon. Past wounds weren't even healed yet. There were still too many things that she was running away from.

Temari just nodded, knowingly. "You know, a long time ago, I would have agreed with you. But you know, now that I've experienced things and had Shiro, I think differently. We're never going to be ready to fall in love. One day, you just wake up and accept that all along, you've been in love with that person."

Picking up Shiro into her arms, Temari continued. "Sometimes, love is so subtle that you just fall without realizing it. One day, you're walking home while holding his hand, and the next, you find that he actually is quite terrified of cockroaches. And just knowing that makes you happy. That in itself, is love."

The whirlpool that had begun terrorizing her stomach settled just a little at her words, but still...Hinata didn't want to believe it. It was too soon. No. She could not.

Luckily, the doorbell rang and Hinata released her breath, which surprised her. She hadn't even realized that she was holding it that entire time.

"Who is it?" She called out as she peered through the window. The familiar sight of dark shades and dark brown hair brought a smile to her lips.

She opened the door, sparing a quick glance back to her neighbor, who was currently focused on rocking her sleeping child. "Did I interrupt something?" The low voice rumbled.

Shaking her head, she moved aside to let in her childhood friend. "Shino, this is my neighbor, Temari. Temari, this is Shino…" She found her voice drifting off at the look of surprise on Shino's face.

She turned to her neighbor, to find that Temari's eyes were huge, a look of surprise also plastered on her face. In her eyes though, emotions seemed to flash uncontrollably. Fear. Surprise. Love.

"Shino?" Without a word, he moved past her, kneeling down by Temari's side. Hinata could only watch in silence as Shino stared at Temari, and then at the infant in her arms.

There was a moment's silence before Shino's next words brought a gasp to Hinata's lips.

"He's mine, isn't he?" "No. He's not." "You're lying. I can tell. First, your left eye is twitching. Two. He looks like he's only a few months old. And you've only been with me."

"Well, maybe I cheated on you," Temari snarled. "He's not yours."

Shino responded by wrapping his arms around her and as a result, the baby in her arms.

"You were never a good liar, Temari."

Hinata could feel her mouth drop. This was...unexpected. Shino? Temari? The world really was so small. She wanted to say something, but from the way Shino's hands trembled just ever so slightly and the way Temari didn't fight back, she knew it wasn't her place. She couldn't possibly interfere.

Instead, she took a few steps back, shutting her front door behind her.

Only then did she let out an incredulous laugh. Shino was the father? He hadn't said anything about even dating! Oh, Kiba was going to be so jealous when he found out. He had always claimed that he would get married before their so called 'bug boy'.

Hinata brought a hand to muffle the happy laughter that was spilling out of her mouth. Surely, they would reconcile. Surely, they could now be together.

She noticed the door next to her open and Gaara walked out. He was only wearing a plain black hoodie and jeans, but for some reason, her heart fluttered at the sight of him.

He looked at her quizzically before asking, "Have you seen Temari or Shiro? They left a while ago and they haven't been back."

Placing a finger on her lips in the universal motion for him to be quiet, she felt her cheeks burn happily. "Shh. Follow me."

Again. That odd spark in his eyes. She felt her stomach flip, but courageously, she took his hand.

He didn't protest until she stopped, a good block away from their home. "So, what's going on?" Hinata could detect that he looked faintly amused and she giggled.

"Shiro's father is my friend, Shino!" She announced happily. "They've finally been reunited!"

Gaara's eyes narrowed slightly in concern before he turned back. "I don't know. She left him for a reason…"

Without thinking, Hinata grabbed his arm. "Please! Don't interrupt them!" She quickly sorted through her memories, trying to remember what Temari had told her once.

 _He was just always there for me. I just couldn't keep taking advantage of his kindness._ Hadn't she said that? Didn't that mean that she still loved him?

"Just trust me." She begged silently. He faltered, before turning to look at her again. "Shino is a kind person. He would never be able to do anything bad to Temari or Shiro. I promise you."

She hoped that he believed her. When he finally nodded slowly, Hinata couldn't help but laugh again. "Thank you."

Gaara's eyes were still clouded with doubt, but he slowly relaxed. "If you say so. But why did you bring me here?" Hinata looked around, finding that they were again by the bench. She motioned for him to sit, which he did so obediently.

Giggling, she whispered, "Sorry, I don't have any cinnamon buns to give you today." He scowled playfully, sending little butterflies straight to her stomach.

She cleared her throat, her eyes bright. "They've been separated for so long. Let's give them a little time alone to catch up. Let them become a family again."

At that, Gaara nodded slowly. "A family, huh?" He said quietly. "That's nice."

Their own conversation from a couple of nights ago replayed in her head. Gaara's abusive father. His mother who died at birth. Temari and Kankurou who were sent to live with his grandma. His own childhood had been so messed up. He had never even known the kindness of a parent's love until much later in his life.

Squeezing his hand reassuringly, Hinata watched his eyes widened. _It will be ok._ She wanted to say it. But as someone who had been surrounded by her father's love and her mother and Neji and Hanabi, it wouldn't be right. She would never understand what he had to go through. She could only imagine.

She watched, her heart rate increasing as a gentle smile fluttered on his lips. He truly did look so handsome when he smiled like that. She couldn't help but wonder who else had been lucky enough to see him when he looked like that. The thought made something inside her burn slightly in jealousy, but she pushed it away.

He wasn't hers.

This time, he was the one who squeezed her hand. A slight smirk graced his lips, but he looked happy. Hinata couldn't help but smile in return.

"One day, you will have your own family too," she said silently, only for him to hear. "I'm sure...it will be very fun." The thought of him marrying someone else made her a little sad, and she paused. Sad? Again, that whirlpool of confusion found itself settling into her stomach.

"That is...do you have…" Where was she going with this? Hinata felt fear join in that huge wave of emotion that was currently battling in her stomach. Why was she saying this? She wasn't ready! "Do you have someone that...you like?"

The way his eyes were so wide, it was as though she had slapped him. Hinata bit her lip nervously. She had messed up, hadn't she? She had tried to pry too much. He didn't like her like that and now it was going to be awkward, wasn't it?

Collecting all the shreds of courage she still possessed, she peeked at him. He looked speechless, but that emotion in his eyes...did he? Could he possibly?

Her heart was racing. She watched him open his mouth and close it, as though a mimicking a goldfish. It was so odd. That was exactly what she had done with Temari had asked her.

She could see the moment when he made up his mind. His eyes narrowed, as though he had made up his mind. His grip on her hand tightened just the slightest. Hinata secretly hoped that he wouldn't notice how sweaty her palms were.

He opened his mouth to speak, and suddenly, he stopped. Maybe he was too shy to tell her after all. She moved forward, to whisper that it was ok, when he leaned forward as well.

It happened so quickly, but at the same time, the feeling of his lips against hers seemed to burn. One moment, his warm lips were on hers, slightly dry, and slightly chapped. The next, the contact was gone, leaving her lips tingling.

Hinata felt her eyes growing big as he looked at her, that emotion once again flooding his eyes. Oh. OH. So that look. All this time?

"Hinata!" Who was calling her name? She was in a daze, but by the way Gaara's eyes narrowed, she knew it couldn't be good.

Her lips still tingling, she turned around. All the blood in her body froze.

Standing a few feet away, with a bouquet of flowers in his hand, stood a heartbroken Naruto with the most hateful glare that she had ever seen.


	10. Chapter 9

Two more chapters. Thank you for sticking with me until the end. Everything will be resolved in the next chapter.

XOXOXOX

In all her years of knowing him, Hinata never thought that there would ever be a day where she would be in this situation. After all, she had been so in love with the man in front of her..

But maybe her love had not been enough.

"N-naruto…" Had he seen? Was that why he was glaring so hatefully at them?

The heat from the brief kiss faded into a numb chill. All she could feel was the loud beat of her own heart, reminding her that time was passing. That even though the three of them stood there, time continued to pass. One thump. Two thumps.

Why was she feeling so bad? She was suppose to be over him. She wasn't suppose to love him anymore. He deserved it. He was the one who had cheated on her without a care in the world. So she shouldn't care whether he saw it or not, right? Right?

Her heart clenched painfully as she moved away from Gaara. No. It didn't matter that he had wronged her. It didn't matter that he had cheated. They had still loved each other and she had just kissed another man right in front of his very eyes.

All she could see was him. The way that his eyes flickered in betrayal. The way he grasped the flowers in his hand so tightly. Were those for her?

 _It's too late._ The little voice inside her mourned sadly. _It's too late for everything to be fixed._ _For things to return to normal._

"I need to talk to you." His cold voice came out so quietly, yet it was all she could hear. Hinata began to stand, clenching her hand all the while. There was no more running away from him. No more running away from Naruto.

Gaara's gentle grasp on her wrist seemed to burn. She looked down at him, at his beautiful seafoam eyes that were lined so well with that dark black eyeliner. They looked up at her, searching for an answer, searching for something. Anything.

Hinata knew that she could not give it to him. Not now.

"Gaara." Naruto's voice was crisp and clear. Hinata could feel her own face contort in surprise. No. She did not want them to fight. This was between her and Naruto only. Instead of being the coward that she was, she would take responsibility for his anger.

Hinata watched, not daring to breathe as Gaara stood up. Her eyes locked with Naruto's deep blue ones. It was as though a sharp knife was running down her throat, not letting a single word escape. For just a moment, she saw something in his eyes hesitate before they steeled over again.

He motioned for Gaara to follow and wordlessly, the two men walked out of ear's reach. Hinata could feel her hands tremble, and although she tried so desperately to stop it, there was no use. She was scared. She felt so guilty and wrong. Was this how he felt when he had cheated? But that kiss...she hadn't cheated. They weren't even together.

So why did it feel like she had done something so terrible?

Hinata watched as the two men talked quietly among themselves. Naruto had always been an open book, letting his emotions run freely, but this time, as Hinata looked at him, his eyes remained dead. Angry. Bitter.

It was the range of emotions that ran across Gaara's face that surprised her. Surprise. Disappointment. Anger...and then his face was just as cold as Naruto's.

They were suppose to be friends and yet, as Hinata watched them standing there, they were so distant. It was all her fault. If she had not been there, then maybe...they would have been able to resume their friendship.

"Hinata." Oh. What was happening now? She wished that she was more brave. More like Sakura or Tenten or Ino. She wished that she was anyone else besides herself now.

Slowly, she walked towards them. Towards Naruto, who was still staring at her so bitterly and so full of betrayal. _I'm sorry._ Why didn't the words come out?

"Do you remember where we had our first kiss?" Of all the questions to ask, that was not what she had expected to come from his mouth. "W-what?" He smiled, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Do you remember?"

Of course she remembered. She would never forget the way her heart felt like it was going to burst. It had been so full of love and excitement and she had nearly fainted when he had held her so closely.

"Yes...It was on the roof of your apartment." She snuck a glance at Gaara, but he was looking away, far away into the distance. _I'm sorry._

"Just one more time. Will you follow me there?" Hinata felt so confused. What was going on? How was this turning out like this? "Please. Just humor me."

Again, she snuck a glance at Gaara, but he said nothing. It was all up to her. She took a deep breath and nodded.

"Come on then." Before she could say another word, he was turning away. Hinata turned to Gaara, to apologize, but to her surprise, he had grabbed her hand tightly.

"Gaara," she whispered sadly, "I-" He shook his head. She could feel her heart breaking silently at the sight of the subtle desperation in his eyes. "Don't say sorry yet," he replied, as he tugged her along.

Hinata wanted to cry. She was hurting them. She had hurt Naruto by kissing his friend in front of him. She was hurting Gaara by putting him through this, when he liked her. Everything that she had done and experienced up until now...would it all just end in heartache? Had any of it been worth it?

They walked in silence, Naruto not looking back at them, Gaara holding her hand tightly the whole time. It felt like she was walking to her death, but if her dying would repair the friendship between the two, Hinata felt like she could do it.

She had been happy enough. Now it was time for the two men in front of her to be happy.

"We're here." The way he tried to smile tore at her heart. It had been so long since she had last seen him smile. She missed the way it had lit up his face.

Hinata moved forward to talk to him, but Gaara didn't loosen his grip on her hand. "Please...whatever you do," he whispered, "Don't let go of my hand."

What did that mean? What was going on?

"Hinata." Naruto called for her. "I still love you." Why did he keep walking backwards? They were on the roof of a 3 story building. Didn't he see how dangerous that was?

"N-naruto, stop, you're getting too close to the edge!" He had on that foxy grin that he always used whenever he was playing a trick on her. It had been so long since she had seen it last, but now, it gave her a sick feeling.

"Why? Is it because you still care for me?" He was on the edge now. Hinata could feel her heart beat flooding her ears. Too close. He was too close to the edge.

"Naruto! Get down from there!" He was one step away. She wanted to move forward, but Gaara...his hold on her. She looked at him in disbelief. Wasn't Naruto his friend? Why was he holding her still? Why didn't he try to stop him?

"Hinata. Do you still love me?"

She could feel her eyes growing wide as her stomach churned dangerously. She was so lost and confused.

"I...I can't."

He nodded his head, as though accepting her answer, but Hinata saw him take another step back.

"Then it shouldn't matter." He smiled so sadly at her. Another step. She needed to stop him. To run to him and stop him. But Gaara was still holding her hand so tightly.

"Naruto, don't you dare-!"

In the fading sunlight, she could see a single tear run down his face, sliding along the whiskers that she had loved to trace on his face.

"It doesn't matter if I die then."

It was as though her heart stopped when he fell back. One moment, he was there, and the next, he was gone. Gone.

"Naruto!"

Over the sound of her own screams and the loud beating of her crying heart, Hinata let go of Gaara's hand and ran towards the edge of the roof.

GGGGGGGGGGGG

Gaara could feel Naruto's angry stare on him, unfaltering. He knew they were far enough from Hinata when Naruto finally began to speak.

"I thought you were my friend."

Gaara felt his eyes narrow. "That's what I should be saying to you. At the supermarket and even now...what is your reason for looking at us so hatefully? When we met a while back, you still treated me as your friend. And yet, now, you act as though I am your enemy."

"I love Hinata." The phrase felt like a solid punch to the gut. "She was suppose to be my fiancée. We were going to get married next year."

And everything made sense. The blanket that she had given to Shiro had whirlpools on them. The reason why her apartment was so bare. The reason why she seemed so sad at the supermarket. The reason why she had puffy red eyes that one night. She had been crying because of Naruto.

The surprise knocked the air out of him. What a small world. Of all the girls for him to have fallen for, he had fallen for the one that he probably shouldn't have. The one he now knew had no chance with.

And yet, he couldn't help but fall for her. There was no stopping it.

"But I made a mistake. A horrible mistake. And I won't give her up to you, even if you are my friend."

 _He is lucky to have a friend like you._ The fake smile that she had pasted on her lips when he had said that to her; he never wanted to see that again.

"What did you do to her?" This was Naruto. His friend that he loved and respected. He was not perfect, but for so long, Gaara had admired him. Looked up to him. Strived to be like him.

He watched as Naruto looked down at his feet in self disgust. "I...I cheated on her."

Was this really Naruto? The righteous Naruto that had knocked sense into him? The Naruto that was like a superhero, who defended the weak and fought against those who were wrong?

"Then…" He could feel anger welling into his veins. Wasn't he suppose to be the good guy? How could he have done that? Especially to her? "You don't deserve her."

"It was a mistake." Looking at his friend's face, Gaara could clearly see that it still haunted him. His hair didn't have that golden shine. There were dark bags under his eyes. He felt pity and disappointment well up inside.

"You were suppose to be better than that. I looked up to you."

Naruto laughed bitterly. "Sorry for not living up to your standards." Gaara stared silently at the bouquet that his friend held in his hand. The flowers were a soft pink and white, not at all like the bright obnoxious colors that Naruto usually liked and picked. "Are you trying to win her back with those?"

"No...these are to say that I am sorry." Naruto stared back at him, his eyes finally flashing with that determination that Gaara was so familiar with. "I'm going to win her back with my sincerity and my love. Because I know she still loves me."

Gaara could feel a slight pain in his chest, even though he didn't allow it to show on his face. He never thought that he would ever kiss Naruto's girl. He closed his eyes, trying not to feel anything. To just somehow escape the emotions that were beginning to rise inside him.

"I did not know your history together." He finally said. Naruto sighed ever so slightly before he gave a small smile. "Hinata is a good woman. Even after everything that I put her through, I am sure she hasn't rushed to criticize me to everyone. Even if she does hate what I have done, I am sure she doesn't want others to hate me as well."

Gaara silently nodded. She was a good woman. Kind. Strong. Amazing. He had fallen for her so quickly and now, it was all going to end, wasn't it? Because Naruto was his best friend and Hinata was his best friend's girl. He was just Gaara. Gaara. Who no one could love.

"She is kind. Accepting. Beautiful." The way her soft hand had felt when he had reached for her at the supermarket. The reassuring smile that she had shown him when he was so scared about Temari and Shiro. The way she was just with him, not expecting anything from him, besides himself. He wanted to burn all their times together into his memory, yet at the same time, he wanted to erase it so that the pain would disappear.

Because in the end, she still did love Naruto, didn't she? Even though she had smiled so sweetly at him, and had captured his heart, he would never have hers.

"I...I do not agree with what you have done. Even though i respect you so much and you will always be my friend, I will never be able to forgive what you have done. You were suppose to be so much better than that."

Naruto closed his eyes painfully. "I know," he whispered. "I was so insecure. So greedy. Even though she loved me so much, I just was so scared. I was so scared to just fully love her for who she was because maybe, one day she would leave me and I would be left with nothing. But it was my mistake. My cowardice caused her to run from me. But I've learned my lesson and in the end, the only thing I want is to just be with her. I truly do love her."

"Aren't you being greedy now? What if she's moved on?" Gaara couldn't help fanning that small little flame of hope, even though he felt guilty for thinking so. The happiness of his best friend? Or the small chance that he had with Hinata?

It was such an easy choice. Naruto would always win.

"It's impossible not to fall in love with her, isn't it?" Naruto's eyes gleamed knowingly. He looked so tired. Gaara turned away.

"What will you do? Gaara?" What a good question. Was there even an answer to something like that?

He looked at his heartbroken friend and then at the beautiful Hinata who stood so silently, waiting for them. He had wanted to hold her hand a little bit longer. To just be with her a little bit longer.

But fate never did favor him, did it?

"Can you prove it to me?" He asked his blue eyed friend softly. "Can you prove that she still loves you?" Naruto stilled, and Gaara could see his eyes burn with that tint of red that emerged when he was angry. "If you can prove that she still loves you…I will give up on her."

He knew it was stupid. He was asking for his heart to be broken. But that was the only way, wasn't it? That was the only way everything could be fixed. Hinata would give Naruto another chance. Naruto would do everything he could to show her how much he loved her. And he would be alone again. Everybody wins.

Naruto's eyes flashed with determination. "I can prove it." He stated firmly. "I have proof."

"How?" His heart was breaking ever so silently.

"Let's make a deal. I won't touch her at all. But if she lets go of your hand to come to me, then you give up on her. Because that is proof that she still loves and cares for me."

Gaara felt a shiver go down his spine. "You have a plan, don't you."

The determination in Naruto's blue eyes made him feel sick. Gaara knew that he stood no chance. "You are my friend. I will not stand in your way."

His heartbeat rang loudly in his ears, his feet on autopilot as they moved along to Naruto's plan. Time was ticking. Soon, the sweet dream that he had come to cherish with Hinata would come to an end.

Just one more time, he wanted to be able to hold her hand and pretend that maybe, just maybe she could have returned his feelings.

"Gaara, I-" He didn't want to be rejected just yet. Just for a while longer. He wanted the dream to last, just a moment longer. "Don't say sorry yet," he whispered. He wanted to keep fooling himself, just for a little bit longer.

He wanted to wipe away the sad look on her face and instead see her smile that had won his heart. He wanted to return to that time at the supermarket, when she had smiled at him so beautifully and innocently.

With every step he took, reality was sinking into the daydream. Naruto loved Hinata. Hinata loved Naruto. There was no place for him in this situation. He was just an outsider. If Naruto and Hinata were the heroes, he was just another nameless side character, destined to fade away in time.

"We're here." Those words were like a death sentence, shattering every thought in his brain. Gaara stared at Naruto's sad smile and then focused on where they were. They were on the rooftop. Naruto was walking backwards, ever so casually. He could tell that she noticed it too, by the way her hands began to tremble.

It clicked. The rooftop. Proof that she still loved him. The condition that if she let go of his hand, he would have to let go of her.

He couldn't help the desperation that welled up in him when he realized it was a losing battle. There was no way Hinata would hold onto his hand, considering what Naruto was going to do. But still...he wanted to be selfish.

"Please...whatever you do. Don't let go of my hand." _Because then I'll have to give up on you._

Naruto had always been full of surprises. In the end, Gaara just had to accept that he was no match for his friend.

That didn't make letting go of her hand easier. It was selfish. He saw the way she looked so desperately at Naruto, could hear the concern that leaked from her voice, and could feel her fighting to just run to Naruto's side.

He was so selfish, wasn't he? He wanted to ignore the look of disbelief on her face when he refused to loosen his grip. She had realized too, hadn't she? What Naruto was going to do.

It was unfair. No one would be able to resist running to Naruto's side when he placed such an ultimatum before them. But he had accepted the conditions, hadn't he? As long as Naruto did not touch her, if she let go of his hand, Gaara would have to accept her feelings and give up on the one girl that he had come to love.

Gaara closed his eyes. Pain was flooding into his heart. He couldn't remember the last time he wished so desperately for things to be different.

He was so selfish, wasn't he? He just wanted that chance with her.

But every dream has an end and it was time for his dream to come to a stop.

He would rather Hinata and Naruto to be happy together than for them to hurt so much. He couldn't be selfish with his one sided feelings for her any longer.

 _I hope you will be happy._

He felt heat prick his eyes as tears rolled down, unstopping, when Hinata let go of his hand.

In the silence and emptiness of his breaking heart, Gaara bid farewell to the one girl that he had come to love and walked away.

XOXOXO

She couldn't breathe. It hurt so much. Oh god. "Naruto!"

It was her fault. She wanted to throw herself down the roof after him. She would deserve it.

With a loud sob, she leaned over, even though she felt like she was going to throw up. Everything was so fuzzy and her face felt so hot. Any second now and she was going to faint.

"Naruto!" Would his lifeless body be lying down there? She had never wanted it to come to this.

Everything was hurting. Her heart. Her head. Her whole body. Everything was screaming for Naruto.

And then, everything stopped. Because he was right there, staring up at her, with that foxy smile. Hinata wiped the hot tears from her eyes. Was she hallucinating? Had she finally gone crazy? Naruto had just jumped off so that had to be a ghost because no, there was no way he would do that to her. There was no way that he just tricked her into believe that he had jumped off the roof.

"Hinata!" He shouted loudly. "Hinata, I love you!"

No. No. No. It had been a trick? A joke? Sasuke and some others stood below as well, moving what was a large trampoline out of the way.

"Hinata!" She still couldn't breathe. "Hinata, will you marry me?!"

It was too much. Hinata allowed the darkness to take her and fainted.


	11. Chapter 10

Loving your responses and reviews! :) The next chapter will be the last. Thank you for waiting so patiently until the end. It definitely was a difficult chapter to write.

XOXOXOXOX

"Hinata!?" Who was screaming so desperately? It sounded so scared, so emotional, so familiar. It felt like she had heard it a million times. "Hinata, wake up please!"

How was it doing that? It sounded so far away, like a slight whisper to the winds and yet, like the clearest voice in her ears. How amazing.

"Hinata!" Who was calling her name? She wanted to reply, but her mouth wouldn't open. Nothing would come out.

 _It's going to be ok._ The sudden thought fluttered into her brain and she could feel a gentle grip on her hand. It felt so warm. So familiar.

Wow. She had never felt this peaceful before. Amazing.

The voice was getting farther and farther away, but for some reason, that was ok. She was already so peaceful. It was ok if the voice just went away.

The grip on her hand tightened and suddenly, it felt like she was choking. Everything was black. Were her eyes open? What was going on? Why couldn't she see anything?!

"Hinata!" Her eyes flew open as she struggled to catch her breath. It felt like sounds were blaring in every direction, screaming at her, flooding all her senses. But still, why couldn't she see anything?!

And suddenly, there was that calming red. That calming red color that she knew. That she could count on...that reminded her of that one person…

"Hinata?" That red color faded into a hazy outline of someone hovering above her. "Are you ok?"

Hinata closed her eyes again, the sense of peace in her heart having dispersed. She recognized this voice.

"I'm ok," she whispered, as she shook her head to clear away the rest of her fuzzy vision. She blinked again, taking in deep breaths.

"Where am I?" The pink haired girl gave a sigh of relief and pushed her back gently onto the bed. "You're in Naruto's room, Hinata. You fainted due to shock. We were really worried about you."

"Oh." It was all she could say. Really. "Thank you, Sakura."

"Not at all!" Sakura replied with a forced laugh.

Hinata nodded and closed her eyes again, allowing the tense silence in the room to continue, save for the occasional sounds from the streets.

"Hinata?" It was so odd. She had felt so peaceful a moment ago and now, she felt so tired, like she was going to fall asleep any minute.

"Yes?" Hinata didn't bother opening her eyes. She didn't want to see the world right now. She just wanted to fade away. Away from everything that had just happened.

She heard Sakura sigh, followed by a soft hand gripping her own. "I'm really sorry. For everything. For not telling you the truth. I swear that I didn't know that he had this plan. If I did, I would have told him not to do it. I...No matter what I said, I know that I did wrong. Because he is my friend, I should have steered him in the right direction, instead of turning a blind eye towards everything."

Silence, save for a silent gulp from the pink haired girl. "I know that asking you for forgiveness is crazy. We were friends and I violated that trust. But please. Just know that I am sorry."

"It's not your fault. Just...I just want to be alone for now." More than seeing it, Hinata heard the girl give a shaky ok before leaving the room.

When she heard the quiet sounds of the door shutting close, she finally allowed her eyes to open and take in the details of the room that had haunted her. That probably haunted him. His bedroom.

It was as messy as she had remembered it. On his desk, amongst his random sheets of paper and comic books was her dark blue scarf that she thought she had lost. There was his whiteboard that he always wrote his goals on. In the corner, there was still that little fox that she had drawn and he had refused to erase. It had been so long.

His scent was so strong, it felt like it was invading every inch of her.

Everything that she had tried so hard to forget was here. Everything that was haunting her was here.

"Naruto…" Fate was so cruel. Why wouldn't it just let her run away? Why did it purposely bring her back to this place? To just keep hurting her?

Hinata snapped out of her thoughts when there came a knock on the door. "Hinata?"

This scene was so familiar. Had anything really changed? The pain was still in her heart, unwilling to disappear. She still felt the whirlpool in her stomach, roaring loudly to life.

But there was something different, wasn't there? There was someone who had completely changed the situation.

"Come in." The door opened quietly and although she quickly sat up, he was by her side in a second.

She could immediately tell that he had been crying by how red and puffy his eyes were. Even now, he looked ready to burst into tears at any minute.

"Can I," he whispered painfully, "Can i please...can I just hug you?"

The answer escaped from her lips before she could really think about it. "No."

He looked down, shock and hurt spreading through his face, but didn't make any move to touch her. "I..I understand."

"N-no. You don't actually understand." There was nowhere to run. She was in his room. In the place where it had first started. In the place where they had spent so many intimate nights together. In the place where he had brought another woman.

She could feel her eyes burn and her lips quiver. Even though so much time had passed, it was as though the wound was fresh, now that she was here. Now that he was here besides her. Just him. No one else.

"I'm sorry." His voice was so quiet this time. There was no begging. No crying for her to please forgive him. It was just him. Just her.

Hinata took a deep shaky breath. "Are you really?"

"What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have tested you like that. But...I just felt like I didn't have a choice. I...I just wanted you to look at me again."

He reached for her hand, intertwining their fingers again. The act made her heart hurt.

When he forced a wobbly smile to his lips, she lost it. The tears that she had tried so desperately to hide flooded from her eyes. It was as though she was a dam that had just been broken. The tears wouldn't stop.

"Hinata?" His scent, his presence, his voice...it was just too much. "Hinata, I know you hate me for what I've done...but I could never stop loving you. I never once stopped thinking about you this entire time. Everywhere I went, all I could see was you. Please...will you please forgive me?"

"I...I want to. M-maybe one day." The words were coming out before she could stop them. "I just want to be able to put it all past me one day."

His eyes brightened with hope as he squeezed her hand. "Does this mean..?"

 _Does this mean you still love me?_

Hinata looked into those blue orbs, taking in the familiarity. Once, she had looked into those hopeful eyes and seen a future together, full of happiness and laughter. It wasn't too long ago, was it? It wasn't too long ago that she had looked back into those beautiful eyes, her own eyes glistening with hope and love.

She had loved him so much. He had loved her. Where had it all gone wrong? Had there been something she didn't see? Had she just merely not been enough?

"B-but...I can't be with you anymore. I..I don't…" It wasn't that she didn't love him. Staring at the man sitting in front of her, Hinata knew that a part of her would always love him. A part of her would always remember the past fondly, would see his crying face and want to pull him into her arms. As hard as she tried to deny it, as hard as she had tried to forget him, she knew that she couldn't. Naruto would always be special to her.

And yet...everything had changed. Everything that she was so sure of had fallen to pieces.

The new future she had pieced together, through her tears and with her breaking heart, simply did not have him as the man that she could love and trust.

"W-we can't fix this," Hinata whispered bitterly. Seeing his tears slide down his face only made her want to cry harder, as though through her tears, she would be able to release everything building up inside her.

"So you don't love me anymore?" His broken voice sounded so much like a heartbroken child that Hinata felt as though her heart was being stabbed. It hurt. Knowing that she was hurting him was so painful. But she couldn't do it. She couldn't go on with that relationship, knowing everything he had done.

Everything had been shattered, broken beyond repair. And as much as she had loved him, she couldn't go back. Hinata knew this. It was a matter of getting him to accept it too.

"Maybe one day...I will be able to say I loved you without being hurt. But yes...I don't love you anymore."

"T-then...Just for tonight. Can I pretend that you still love me?" It hurt. It hurt so much that she couldn't breathe. The way his hand caressed her face so softly. The painful look in his eye as he took in her crying face.

"Y-you're so selfish." Tears were running down her face, so hot that it felt like they were blinding her. "It's always what you want, isn't it? Pretending to jump off, lying to me, cheating on me, it's always what you want, isn't it?"

It felt like her body was tearing apart, and through the gaping hole that was her heart, all the questions, all the emotions that she had suppressed came rushing through.

"Why do you always do things like this to me, Naruto?! Why?" She punched his chest, vaguely aware of the way he grimaced in pain, but she couldn't stop. She was so angry. She was so sad. He was everything and at the same time, he was nothing.

"W-what did I ever do to you? I loved you. I did everything for you!" Large sobs escaped from her mouth, as she continued to weakly punch his chest.

"Why did you cheat on me?" It came out so weakly, but it was the manifestation of all the emotions bubbling up inside her. Finally, it was out there. Finally, she had voiced out the question that had plagued her since that fateful night.

 _Why wasn't I enough? Why did you have to love another? Why?_

"Hinata." The way he murmured her name so sadly made her feel so sick. He had grabbed her wrists, effectively stopping her attack on his chest. "It was a mistake. A horrible mistake. I never should have done it. I hurt you. I hurt Shion. But in the end, the only girl I wanted to wake up besides was you."

God, she hated him. She hated him for making her feel this way. She hated herself for crying. "Y-you're such a fucking liar."

Through her tears, she could see the pain on his face. "When I lost you, I realized how stupid I was. I had the most amazing girl ever. You loved me. You accepted me for the weak pathetic man that I was. You built me up, with your quiet strength and dedication. And I took it all for granted." He took a shaky breath, his whole body trembling. "I am sorry."

Hinata pulled away, no longer able to look at him. She felt like she was going to fall apart.

"A mistake...would have been a one night stand. A kiss. W-what you did wasn't a mistake, Naruto." She didn't want to look at his face, but she could tell her words were breaking him. It was breaking everything inside of him. He reached out for her again and she shrank away, the faint touch of his fingertips burning her skin. "What you did...it wasn't a mistake. It was a decision. It was a choice. You lied to me. You lied to Shion. And in the end, you hurt me. You hurt your friends. Shion. You just hurted everyone with your lies. And because of your decision, we can't ever go back to what we had. Ever."

She shook her head, as though it would clear out all the emotions that were rushing to spill from all her pores. "I...Since I found out you cheated on me, I-!"

In an instant, she was in his arms, his scent flooding into her nose. She could feel him trembling as he cried silently, as well as the pool of warm tears on her shoulder. Another loud sob escaped from her as she realized how much she had missed this. Just being in his arms. The warmth. She had missed him.

It was too much. She was so worn out. Hinata wrapped her arms around him, clutching onto his shirt desperately as she listened to his rushed whispers of 'I'm sorry' and 'I love you'. All she could do was cry.

And suddenly, they were falling onto the bed. He was still squeezing her so tightly, as though he was afraid she would fade away. "Hinata. My Hinata."

Everything was burning. Her heart. Her lungs. Just the sight of his beautiful blue eyes staring back into her made her feel like she was on fire.

Tearfully, she somehow found the strength to ask again. "Why?"

"Because I was a coward. I was afraid to love you with all my heart...because I thought maybe one day, you would just leave me. Even though I knew you loved me so much...I was so scared. So I cheated. Because then, at least, if you left me one day, I wouldn't be so hurt. But I was wrong. I was already fully in love with you. Every inch of my heart was yours and had always been yours. And because I was always so slow and stupid, now, you're going to leave me forever." Tears were flowing down both their faces, but even now, he wiped them off her face. His soft sobs seemed to echo into her very core. "I was so blind and stupid. I was selfish. I didn't want to be the one who got hurt. And so, I pushed you, again and again like I always did so selfishly in the past. I never thought it would end this way."

God, life was cruel. He was so stupid. She would have gone to the end of the world for him. And now, everything was gone. She had arrived to the end of the world, only to find herself alone there.

Shakily, she reached up to wipe his tears away. To trace those whiskers that she had loved so much and that she still thought of when she couldn't fall asleep. To engrain the memory of his crying face into her heart, so she would never forget him.

Hinata felt her breath catch when he grabbed her hand, ever so gently and bring it to his lips, planting a chaste kiss on them. The pleading look in his eyes silenced any protest that was threatening to fall from her lips.

"I love you. I love you so much, Hinata Hyuuga."

With a small sob, Hinata let her eyes flutter closed. Just hearing those words hurt, because she still wanted them to be true. But she knew that try as she might, she would never be able to trust in those words again.

She felt the heat of his warm lips press ever so slightly onto her eyelids and then her forehead. Even though it was only for a second, her skin tingled where his lips touched. Hinata opened her eyes again, when she felt his coarse hand gently caressing her face. The way his eyes traveled ever so slowly across her face, as though he was trying to memorize all the details of her face in the limited time they had, made her want to cry again. Naruto's own blue eyes were so watery, and each time he blinked, a tear would fall, dripping onto her own face.

As she stared back at his face, Hinata slowly began to realize that this was it. This was the end. The reason why he was trying to memorize her face. The reason why he looked so tenderly yet painfully at her. This was going to be goodbye.

Naruto had finally accepted it. After this moment, everything between them would be gone. There was no going back.

Finally, their eyes locked. It wasn't so long ago, was it? When they had laid like this together, his eyes so full of love for her. Hinata knew that he did love her. If anything, she could tell that he had truly loved her, at the very least. Because even now, the way his eyes shone so brightly as he stared at her was exactly the same as in the past.

But still she couldn't shake off the little voice that made her know they could never be together.

 _Had he also looked at Shion like that?_

As though he knew what she was thinking, Naruto kissed her nose ever so lightly. "I never did. It was only with you that I looked like this. I promise."

His gaze fell to her lips and ever so slowly, he leaned down, allowing his lips to brush onto hers before he firmly pressed his lips against her own. It was everything she had remembered, and so much more.

Hinata had thought that they had experienced every type of kiss together. But now, as his lips moved passionately against hers, only breaking away to whisper 'I love you', Hinata realized that she had never felt a kiss like this before, and that she never wanted to experience a kiss like this again.

Even though she could feel his love, even though she knew she would miss the way his hand combed through her hair, she knew that once the kiss ended, there would only be goodbye.

It was inevitable.

When he finally pulled back, Hinata could see that his eyes were once again filled with tears.

"Can you really not love me anymore?" They had been together for so long. Through the good times and the bad, she had been there for him. Hinata had loved him, just as he had loved her. But Hinata knew...there was no way. Everytime she closed her eyes, all she saw was him. Him and Shion. Him kissing her. Saying that he loved her. Him making love to her.

She would never be able to look at him and love him again without thinking of Shion and his lies.

"I'm sorry."

It was so painful. Because for a while, their love had been real. Even though it didn't have the happy ending that she had wanted, the proof was there between them. It had definitely existed. And now, it was coming to an end.

He didn't say another word, but his grip on her wrist was firm and his eyes were desperate.

This time, Hinata did not hesitate as she sat up and pulled away. Even though her own heart was aching terribly, she knew. This was the right thing to do.

"Hinata." She paused at the door, her hand just about to turn the knob. "This isn't goodbye."

Hinata nodded, not trusting her voice. As she closed the door behind her, she gasped as her knees gave out beneath her. Leaning on the door, she could hear his heartbreaking sobs and she knew that her own tears were falling.

But he was right, wasn't he?

This wasn't goodbye. It was a new beginning.


	12. The End

Thanks for sticking until the end. :) This is the last chapter, but I'm thinking of writing a Naruhina version. We shall see how it goes.

XOXOXOX

It was around noon when a series of soft knocks came at her door. With a heavy heart, Hinata got up from bed. She wasn't quite sure who it would be. It had already been two weeks since then and not a word from Naruto...or Gaara. In a sense, she deserved it. She had hurt them both. The silence that had since filled her house was justified.

"Coming," she called out as she unlocked the door. Her eyes widened just the slightest at the man in front of her. "Shino? What brings you here?"

Shino stuffed his hands into his pocket and looked at the ground. "I need a favor," he asked gruffly. "If you are okay with it." Hinata nodded and smiled a little. Of course. This was Shino. She would never turn him away when he needed help.

"Come in. Sorry if everything's a mess," she said sheepishly. "I haven't done much cleaning recently…" Shino just nodded knowingly, but didn't move to come in.

Sensing his internal conflict, Hinata pulled him in gently. "Shino, what is it? What's wrong?"

For just the slightest second, he looked so lost that Hinata felt worried for him. He was always so strong. Or at least, he always tried to look strong. To see him so vulnerable was something she could never get use to, no matter how long they had been friends.

"I need to see Temari again," he finally admitted. "She won't meet with me, no matter what I do."

Hinata felt her mouth drop open. It had totally slipped her mind. She had returned home from that fateful day, on autopilot, and had spent the last few weeks moping and crying. She had been so consumed in her own feelings that she had forgotten about Temari and Shino and Shiro.

Surely...surely there was a way for them to come back together? Surely, everything wasn't broken beyond repair?

"What happened?" Even with all the questions plaguing her, it was all she could say. The secrets of Temari and Shino's past. She knew none of it, but she wanted to. She couldn't keep focusing on herself and her misery. The world was turning. Shino and Temari needed her. Shiro needed her.

If there was the smallest chance that the couple could reunite and the family would come together, Hinata wanted to take that small chance. After all the bitterness and heartache that the year had brought, surely, this time, fate wouldn't be cruel?

She listened attentively as the normally quiet man spilled the secrets he had kept bottled inside for so long. Meeting Temari in Suna. Falling in love with her. Wanting to be with her and know more about her. Loving how strong she was and at the same time, wanting to protect her from the future. Buying her a ring. How she had suddenly ended things and disappeared.

How he had taken to visiting Suna again and again, all for the chance that he would see her.

He never thought that he would see her again, much less with a baby that was the spitting image of him in the house of his best friend.

Fate was cruel and sadistic. There was simply no other way to explain it.

Try as she might, Hinata couldn't find the right words. How had he done it? He had carried his pain all alone for so long. Without realizing it, tears began to streak down her face.

"She told me...that she couldn't keep taking advantage of your kindness," Hinata murmured through her tears. "I understand what she means now. Y-you are too kind, Shino. You carried this sadness all by yourself because you didn't want to burden anyone." She wrapped her arms around him, allowing herself to freely cry into his shoulder.

Oh god. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted everything to be ok.

Gears began turning in her head. What could she do for them? What would be able to bring this family together again?

The shake of his head brought her out of her thoughts. "Even thirty minutes would be enough." His voice was low and thick with emotion, even though his face didn't show it. "I just want to see my family again."

Hinata nodded. Thirty minutes. She could do this.

"Give me a minute." It was so uncharacteristic of her to be this forward, but she was tired of fate and its games. She would change this pattern of bad luck.  
When Hinata found herself knocking on Temari's door a few minutes later, with Shino in tow, she was prepared for rejection from Temari. What she was not prepared for was Gaara.

Even though it had only been two weeks, it seemed like she hadn't seen him in forever. He was gone when she woke up and she hadn't seen him since. Hinata felt something in her spring to life. She hadn't realized how much she had missed him. She had missed his small smiles and his piercing seafoam eyes and his black eyeliner. She had missed the way his warm hands had enveloped her much smaller ones.

But this wasn't about her. Looking like a goldfish wasn't going to solve anything.

"Are you here for Temari?" To her surprise, Gaara stepped back, as though to invite both her and Shino in. He locked eyes with Shino, his gaze piercing and strong.

When he spoke again, Hinata almost wanted to cry. "She won't admit it, but she's been waiting for you." _Please make her happy._

It was really happening. Beyond that door was Temari and Shiro.

Hinata watched as Shino faltered, his hands shaking by his side. This was it. Beyond that door was the woman he had waited so long for. He was scared. He didn't want to be rejected anymore.

Sensing this, Hinata gave him the gentlest push. As though shocking him out of his insecurities, he moved forward, but turned back to give her a thankful smile.

"Thank you." The silent whisper that only she and Gaara heard before Shino rushed in hung in the air, as though suspended in time.

Her eyes locked onto Gaara's own seafoam eyes, and she shared a teary smile. "I'm glad," she confessed, "I'm happy that they can be together."

There was the briefest flicker of emotion in his eyes before he reached out to wipe away a tear that had somehow managed to escape from her eye. "I'm glad," he admitted softly, "Temari will finally be able to have a family that she's always wanted."

"She's always had you though. She's just adding more."

He didn't say anything else, but by the look in his eyes, Hinata could tell he was happy. She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled from her lips as well.

Finally, things were starting to turn around, weren't they?

The sad times. The difficult times. They were finally over, weren't they? Sure, they would come again, but for now, it was ok, wasn't it?

With a quick wave from Gaara, the two tiptoed inside to catch a glimpse of the family.

"...just like you," they could hear Shino's low voice chuckle, although it was laced with heavy emotion. "Shiro. He's perfect."

"Yes," Temari added with a soft sigh, "every day, he begins to look more and more like you."

Silence. "I've missed you." Pause. "Won't you let me come home?"

"What do you mean?" Temari's voice was hesitant, guarded. Hinata unconsciously grabbed Gaara's hand, unsure of what was going to happen. He gave the slightest squeeze, but reassurance flooded her veins.

"I want to be with you again. To be home with you and Shiro." Another pause. "Don't run away from me anymore. You were never a burden."

"A-ah…." The faintest rustling of clothes caught her ear and Hinata snuck a peek from the doorway. The sight made her heart swell with happiness and she resisted releasing a happy sigh.

Shino was holding Shiro in one arm, the other around Temari's waist, bringing the two people he loved so much into a strong embrace. Hinata smiled before she turned away.

The faint promises that Shino whispered into Temari's ear were too quiet to hear, but she knew it was better that way. The promises were only for her to hear, to believe in. And Shino was a man of his word.

Hinata looked up at Gaara, a smile still on her face, only to see that he was staring back into her eyes intently, his seafoam orbs piercing and filled with emotion.

Again. That look. He looked like he was struggling with himself, torn between love and running away from her forever.

Finally, he blinked and it was gone. His face was a stoic mask when he released her hand slowly.

"Sorry," he murmured as he backed away from her, "that wasn't appropriate of me."

Hinata watched as he turned and walked away, all the while noticing the faint whispers that were beginning to run in her head.

 _Go after him. Hold him. Tell him that you missed him._

But she couldn't. She had hurt him on that day. She didn't deserve him. So why did it hurt so much to see him walking away?

"Gaara." He stopped, and Hinata saw how tense he was. He wasn't even willing to look at her.

The sight of his back towards her hurt more than she thought it would.

Without glancing back, he murmured, "I'm glad that you found your happiness. He is a good man."

"N-no," she stammered, taken back. What was he talking about?

He turned, his eyes piercing as always. "It's ok. I...I understand. I hope you both will be happy."

No. He was misunderstanding. He was wrong. She wanted to tell him, but the words weren't coming out. Instead, they had caught in her throat traitorously, leaving her like a fish with her mouth opening and closing stupidly.

She watched as he closed his eyes before taking a deep breath. Now, she wouldn't even be able to see those beautiful eyes of his? Heat pricked her eyes, the lump in her throat just getting bigger and bigger.

"Forget about what has happened between us. It was a mistake."

Was that what it was to him? A mistake? She didn't think so. The time that they had shared together. The kiss that he had given her. The way that he had made her heart bloom each time he had blessed her with his rare smiles. None of it was a mistake. Not to her at least.

He was walking away, wasn't he? Though her vision was blurred with hot tears, she could see his back getting farther and farther away. Would this too come to an end?

Would she be happy with that? To have him leave her forever?

No.

Never.

She didn't think before she ran towards him and pulled his arm back. Though he looked shocked, she couldn't stop. She wouldn't. Taking his hand, she led him next door, away from Shino, from Temari, from Shiro.

Slamming the door behind her, she glared at him angrily through her tears. He stared back at her, his gaze always so piercing and always so strong.

"Was it really a mistake to you?" She found herself whispering angrily. She diverted her gaze away, unable to look him in the eye lest she cry again.

 _Please say no._ If it really was a mistake, then she would stop. She would stop this act of selfishness, no matter how much it would hurt her to watch him walk away.

"Yes." His tone was so cold. So detached. Not at all like the Gaara that had smiled so gently at her. That had been there, shielding her and protecting her. She missed him. She missed her Gaara. "It was a mistake."

The slap surprised them both. Hinata gasped at the stinging sensation in her right hand and at seeing his cheek redden. Still, the anger that was inside her wouldn't stop roaring its ugly head.

"I-I like you."

Green seafoam eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't give him a chance before she continued. "I know I'm pathetic. I struggled to confront the man that I loved. I couldn't get past my demons and my past. I was being selfish. But still….Still, I started to like you. I began to enjoy spending time with you. I began to like you. To want to be with you. W-when you kissed me, I was happy."

Her angry eyes connected with his lost ones. "You were never a mistake to me! I know I didn't deserve you. I was weak. I was a coward. But still, I wanted you. I-"

"Shush." His embrace. The anger that was roaring from the depths of her heart subsided to a faint whimper. All she could think of was his tight arms around her, of his scent that was invading her, of the faint way he trembled.

"I like you, Gaara," she whimpered pitifully. "I'm sorry. I hurt you. But still, I like you. I like you."

This time, the feeling of his lips on hers was wet with tears. She gasped as he kissed her passionately, as though she was the oxygen he needed and craved for. Her legs were going weak. It wasn't like the first kiss, which was brief and had disappeared as soon as it had started.

No, this time, he was kissing her desperately, as though if he stopped, she would disappear. Perhaps it was a dream. Hinata found herself kissing him back just as desperately, the feeling of his tongue against hers making her light headed.

Everything that had been wrong with Naruto's kiss, the feelings of sadness and inevitable goodbye that had lingered with the passion was gone in Gaara's kiss. In this kiss, he promised his love, his devotion. There were to be no goodbyes. Just more hellos and more kisses to come.

It felt right.

It felt too soon that they had to part for air, but each breath that they took served to prove that this moment was real. It was real.

"W-was I really a mistake to you?" She whispered into his chest. "A-am I a mistake to you now?"

She gasped as he grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. The love that was swirling in his eyes, that was written all over his face only made him look so much more handsome when he smiled. "Stupid. I've always liked you. Couldn't you tell?"

Hinata realized that she would be lying if she said she didn't. The way he had looked at her, the love that she had refused to acknowledge in his eyes until it was almost too late. In her selfishness to protect herself, she had almost lost him.

"But, what about Naruto?" He was afraid. It was evident in his voice. He was afraid that this would be a mistake, a heat of the moment type of event. She would realize that she still loved the blonde smiling man and one day leave him. After all, Naruto was the sun and he would never be able to compare. He was like specks of sand compared to his friend.

Hinata answered by kissing him again. Soft, gentle, reassuring. "Naruto was my past," she murmured against his lips. "But he will not be my future."

She pulled away, unsure as she looked into his eyes. "I can't promise you forever. I still have a lot of demons I have to deal with. I...I can't promise you that I am in love with you. But I like you. For now, I like you and I want to continue down that path. I want to be selfish….with **you."**

He sighed as he rested his forehead against hers, his soft breath tickling her skin. Hinata shivered. So much had happened to all come down to this moment. Looking at him, at the love that was written in his eyes, Hinata tried to remember this moment, to engrave it into her memory.

She closed her eyes, allowing herself to just feel him and the thumping of his heart beneath her fingertips.

"I would love that," he whispered into her ears, "Let's take our time. There's no rush." A brief kiss by her ears caused her to tremble. His lips were so warm, setting a trial of fire everywhere they touched. "I'll wait for you, until you can fall in love with me."

Feeling his lips descend upon her once again, Hinata sighed happily into the kiss. She had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before that happened.

GGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNN

 _3 years later…._

No matter how many breaths she took, she found that it wasn't enough. This was really happening. Hinata clenched her fists, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair had been done. Ino had patiently applied her makeup, making her look like the definition of a blushing bride. She was in the white wedding dress that she had picked after so many attempts and so many visits to different stores. It was really happening. She, Hinata Hyuuga, was getting married.

She glanced down at the modest ring around her finger and she found that she relaxed, just a little. Still, her nerves were getting to her. This was really happening. What if she couldn't make him happy? What if again…? What if there was another woman again?

"Hey beautiful," a soft voice came. Hinata gasped and turned. She hadn't even heard them come in.

"Naruto," she breathed, taking in the sight of the man in front of her. His eyes were still that marvelous shade of sky blue. The whiskers on his cheeks were still prominent, adding to his boyish charm despite his age of 28. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a blue tie. It somehow matched him, making his blonde hair shine even more brilliantly. He definitely looked ready for a wedding.

He smiled happily, although Hinata could detect the faint sadness in those glistening orbs. "It's really happening," he murmured softly as he allowed himself to just take in the sight of the beautiful woman in front of him. "I always thought that I would be the lucky man who got to see you like this." He chuckled fondly. "I guess I am since I'm here."

Hinata smiled as she turned around to face him. It had been quite a journey, filled with ups and downs. Throughout the journey, he had been there, smiling and laughing like always. "I'm glad you are here. Thank you."

He laughed. "I kind of have to be here, as Gaara's best man. I promised."

Hinata sighed as he cupped her face, his eyes softening. Long ago, she had thought that the man before her would be the man that she would eventually married. She had thought that he was her happiness. Today, she knew that to be untrue. He would always be in her life, but not as the man by her side.

Still, the way he caressed her face, so familiarly and so lovingly touched a part of her heart that she knew would never fade.

He pulled her into an embrace, his unique scent invading her nose. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to just listen to the familiar heartbeat in his chest. One thump. Two thumps.

"Just say the word," he whispered into her ear, "Just say the word and I'll give everything up to run away with you."

"That would be a problem." Sasuke's voice deadpanned. Hinata's eyes fluttered opened to see Sasuke, his arms crossed and not very impressed. "Considering that we're suppose to be up there in a minute."

Naruto laughed, boisterously and loudly. "Well damn Sasuke," he joked, "way to ruin the moment!"

The dark man let out of breathy huff before he grabbed the blonde by the collar. "Gaara is looking for you."

Hinata giggled as the blonde gave a cry and flailed, trying to escape. "Just give me one minute with Hinata!" He whined childishly. "Sasuke!"

Said man in question raised one finger, his eyes almost glowing crimson. "One minute," he stated. "I will be counting."

As they watched the man exit the room, silence once again filled the room before Naruto gave a low chuckle. "I meant what I said," he explained with a sigh, "but I already know your answer." He grinned, that fox-like smile that he was so famous for. "Gaara is a lucky man."

"Thank you," Hinata smiled fondly as he took her hand, "Ayame is also a lucky woman."

Walking with him, hand in hand, she felt her heart swell, her initial nervousness forgotten. So much time had already passed. She was happy. She was glad that Naruto had also found someone new, someone who was beautiful and amazing.

Hopefully, Ayame would be the person to Naruto that Gaara was to her.

Naruto paused as they stood in front of the big doors. On the other side stood her future. On the other side was him, with his red hair and his piercing eyes and his patient heart that had waited for her love. He squeezed her hands. "I meant it," he whispered, "Just one word."

Hinata shook her head, a smile gracing her lips. "I am happy."

He turned to her, his piercing blue searching through her milky orbs. Finally, he chuckled, placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. "See you in a bit, princess."

Alone, Hinata took a deep breath. This was it. In a minute, the doors would open. In a minute, she would walk down the aisle, each step bringing her closer to the man that she had picked as her husband.

Was she nervous? Of course she was. The future was to be feared. She didn't have any idea of what to expect. Anything was possible. But she knew that as long as he was there, everything would be ok.

As long as he was by her side, they would get through it. **Together.**

The doors opened. She took a deep breath, placing the veil over her face before she walked towards him. With each step, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach soaring, higher and higher.

She didn't bother to wipe the tears when she linked arms with her father, who stood proudly for her. Walking down the aisle with him, she could see Hanabi and Neji waiting for her, their own proud smiles on their face. Familiar faces greeted her from both the bridesmaid side and the groomsmen. These were all her friends. They were everyone who had stood by her, supporting her through the years. She never thought she could be so happy.

Her eyes caught sight of Naruto's happy blue ones and she let out a laugh when he winked.

Finally, she caught sight of him. Gaara.

He stood, silently and handsomely in his black tuxedo. She could tell he was nervous by the way he kept his hands in his pockets, but his eyes sparkled wickedly, showing how happy and proud he was. Standing there, she thought he was the most handsome man in the world.

Gaara, with his flaming red hair and his eyes that she loved so much.

Standing besides him, she let out a happy sigh as he wiped away her tears. She could feel her heart drumming, faster and faster. This was it.

After so much hardship, after so many tears and heartache, she had finally found her happiness. She was finally complete.

"I love you," he whispered with that smile that he saved just for her. "I love you, Hinata."

As the distance between them closed, as their lips finally touched, as Hinata closed her eyes, she knew that she had made the right decision.

With him by her side, she would be able to face anything the future threw at them. That was a promise.

-end-

XOXOXOXOX  
And so this love story comes to an end! Thanks to everyone who has supported me and stuck with me since the beginning! I would give shoutouts but jesus, that's a lot of people to call out! Just know that your words and reviews will always stay in my heart, never to fade! :) Did you like it? Did you not like it? I hope that this story was able to touch your hearts, even if only in the slightest. This is me, signing off! See you next time!


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